Shiva Purana — Kotirudra Samhita, Shloka 88
Śiva-nāma-sahasraka-kathana
The Recital/Teaching of the Thousand Names of Śiva
मुंडी विरूपो विकृतो दंडी नादी गुणोत्तमः । पिंगलाक्षो हि बह्वयो नीलग्रीवो निरामयः
muṃḍī virūpo vikṛto daṃḍī nādī guṇottamaḥ | piṃgalākṣo hi bahvayo nīlagrīvo nirāmayaḥ
祂剃首示现，形相奇异而令人敬畏，能作种种变化。执杖而住，亦为内在圣音“那陀”(nāda)；祂是一切德性的至上圆满。祂目光呈金褐色；祂多形多相；青颈无病苦——如是，世人赞颂主湿婆在具德相(有相，saguṇa)中的显现，而祂仍是超越诸缚、施予解脱的主宰(Pati)。
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Bhikṣāṭana
Mantra: मुंडी विरूपो विकृतो दंडी नादी गुणोत्तमः । पिंगलाक्षो हि बह्वयो नीलग्रीवो निरामयः
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse lists Shiva’s sacred epithets to focus the mind on His protective, purifying, and liberating presence—showing that the Lord can appear in many awe-inspiring forms while remaining the supreme Pati who removes suffering and grants freedom from bondage.
These names describe Saguna Shiva—His recognizable marks like Nīlagrīva (blue-throated) and ascetic emblems—supporting devotional contemplation (bhakti) that naturally leads the devotee from form-based worship (including the Linga) toward realization of Shiva’s transcendent nature.
A practical takeaway is nāma-japa: reciting these Shiva-names (or the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady attention, contemplating Shiva as nirāmaya (free of affliction) to cultivate inner purity and fearlessness.