Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 3
तारकवधोत्तरं देवस्तुतिः पर्वतवरप्रदानं च / Devas’ Hymn after Tāraka’s Slaying and the Bestowal of Boons upon the Mountains
नमोस्तु ते दानववर्यहंत्रे बाणासुरप्राणहराय देव । प्रलंबनाशाय पवित्ररूपिणे नमोनमश्शंकरतात तुभ्यम्
namostu te dānavavaryahaṃtre bāṇāsuraprāṇaharāya deva | pralaṃbanāśāya pavitrarūpiṇe namonamaśśaṃkaratāta tubhyam
Verehrung Dir, o Gott—Vernichter des Vornehmsten unter den Dānavas, der Bāṇāsura das Leben nahm; Zerstörer Pralambas, dessen Gestalt Reinheit ist. Immer wieder verneige ich mich vor Dir, o Śaṅkara, ehrwürdiger Herr.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the hymn/scene to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra
Mantra: नमोस्तु ते दानववर्यहंत्रे बाणासुरप्राणहराय देव । प्रलंबनाशाय पवित्ररूपिणे नमोनमश्शंकरतात तुभ्यम्
Type: stotra
Role: destructive
FAQs
The verse frames Śiva as Pati (the Lord) who destroys demonic forces—outer enemies and inner impurities—affirming that surrender (namo namaḥ) to the pure, purifying Śaṅkara is itself a Shaiva path toward liberation.
It is Saguna-bhakti: the devotee praises Śiva by His saving deeds and epithets. In Linga-worship, these names are recited while offering water, bilva, and mantra-japa, recognizing the Linga as the pure, purifying presence of Śiva made accessible to devotees.
Practice nāma-japa and stotra-pāṭha using repeated “namo namaḥ śaṅkarāya,” ideally with rudrākṣa for counting; meditate on Śiva as pavitra-rūpin (the purifier), and support it with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a daily Shaiva reminder of inner purification.