Shiva Purana — Kotirudra Samhita, Shloka 2
Śiva-nāma-sahasraka-kathana
The Recital/Teaching of the Thousand Names of Śiva
श्रीविष्णुरुवाच । शिवो हरो मृडो रुद्रः पुष्करः पुष्पलोचनः । अर्थिगम्यः सदाचारः शर्वः शंभुर्महेश्वरः
śrīviṣṇuruvāca | śivo haro mṛḍo rudraḥ puṣkaraḥ puṣpalocanaḥ | arthigamyaḥ sadācāraḥ śarvaḥ śaṃbhurmaheśvaraḥ
圣毗湿奴说道：“祂是湿婆（Śiva），吉祥者；哈罗（Hara），除罪解缚者；弥陀（Mṛḍa），慈悲者；鲁陀罗（Rudra），令众生啼泣并融解世界之主。祂是普湿迦罗（Puṣkara），清净如莲；普湿波罗遮那（Puṣpalocana），花目之尊。祂为求归依者所可亲近；是正行之化身；舍尔瓦（Śarva），遍毁之主；商布（Śaṃbhu），赐安乐者；亦是摩诃伊湿伐罗（Maheśvara），至上统御者。”
Lord Vishnu
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
Mantra: शिवो हरो मृडो रुद्रः पुष्करः पुष्पलोचनः । अर्थिगम्यः सदाचारः शर्वः शंभुर्महेश्वरः
Type: stotra
FAQs
This verse presents Shiva as Pati (the Supreme Lord) who is both compassionate (Mṛḍa, Śaṃbhu) and the dissolver of bondage and impurity (Hara, Rudra, Śarva). In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, it points to Shiva’s grace as the decisive power that makes liberation possible for the seeking soul.
By listing divine names and qualities, the verse supports Saguna-upāsanā—devotion to Shiva with attributes—commonly practiced through Linga worship. The devotee contemplates these epithets while offering abhiṣeka and flowers, recognizing the Linga as the accessible sign of the transcendent Maheśvara.
A practical takeaway is nāma-japa (repetition of Shiva’s names) alongside Panchakshara japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), meditating on Shiva as Hara (remover of pāśa) and Śaṃbhu (giver of auspiciousness), especially during Linga-pūjā and Mahāśivarātri observances.