Shloka 96
Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti
रथेन किं चेषुवरेण तस्य गणैश् च किं देवगणैश् च शंभोः पुरत्रयं दग्धुमलुप्तशक्तेः किमेतद् इत्याहुर् अजेन्द्रमुख्याः
rathena kiṃ ceṣuvareṇa tasya gaṇaiś ca kiṃ devagaṇaiś ca śaṃbhoḥ puratrayaṃ dagdhumaluptaśakteḥ kimetad ityāhur ajendramukhyāḥ
«ما حاجته إلى مركبةٍ حربية، أو حتى إلى سهمٍ نفيس؟ وما حاجةُ شَمبهو إلى خَدَمٍ أو إلى جموعِ الآلهة؟ إن قوّتَه لا تنقص أبداً—فهو قادرٌ أن يُحرقَ المدنَ الثلاث (تريبورا) وحده. “فما معنى كلّ هذا إذن؟”—هكذا تكلّم الأوّلون بين غيرِ المولود وإندرا (أي براهما وكبار الدِّيفات).»
Devas led by Brahma and Indra (as recounted within Suta’s narration)
FAQs
It underscores Shiva’s alupta-śakti—his power is self-existent and not dependent on external aids—supporting Linga worship as devotion to the independent Pati rather than to contingent instruments.
Shiva is portrayed as the sovereign Pati whose śakti never wanes; even cosmic functions like destroying Tripura do not require support from devas, weapons, or vehicles—these are symbolic upāyas, not necessities.
A contemplative takeaway aligned with Pāśupata orientation: meditate on Shiva’s independence (svātantrya) and offer worship seeing all ritual implements as symbols, while the true refuge is the Pati beyond pasha (bondage).