Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33
गजासुरतपः–देवलोकक्षोभः
Gajāsura’s Austerities and the Disturbance of the Worlds
न्यवेदयन्दानवस्य तस्य काश्यां समागमम् । क्लेशाधिक्यं तत्रत्यानां तन्नाथानां विशेषतः
nyavedayandānavasya tasya kāśyāṃ samāgamam | kleśādhikyaṃ tatratyānāṃ tannāthānāṃ viśeṣataḥ
তেওঁলোকে সেই দানৱৰ কাশীত আগমনৰ কথা জনালে আৰু ক’লে যে তাত থকা লোকসকলৰ ক্লেশ বহুত বাঢ়িছে—বিশেষকৈ নগৰৰ নাথ আৰু ৰক্ষকসকলৰ।
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: The devas report the demon’s arrival in Kāśī; in Kāśī-kṣetra ideology, Viśveśvara’s protection is invoked when the city’s guardians and rulers are overwhelmed, reaffirming Śiva as the true sovereign of the kṣetra.
Significance: Hearing/reciting the Kāśī-protection narratives is treated as kṣetra-smaraṇa: it cultivates trust in Śiva’s anugraha and reduces fear of worldly upheaval.
Role: nurturing
FAQs
The verse highlights how adharma (demonic intrusion) produces collective kleśa, prompting seekers to take refuge in Pati (Lord Śiva) as the true protector beyond worldly rulers—an emphasis aligned with Śaiva Siddhānta’s stress on grace amid bondage.
Kāśī is celebrated as Śiva’s sacred domain; when distress rises, the narrative implicitly turns the mind toward Saguna Śiva—worshiped as the Liṅga and as the city’s guardian—affirming that devotion and surrender to Śiva’s presence in Kāśī overcomes fear and disorder.
In times of rising kleśa, a practical takeaway is steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as supports, cultivating inner refuge while seeking Śiva’s protection.