Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 41
देवदैत्यसामान्ययुद्धवर्णनम् — Description of the General Battle Between Devas and Daityas
एवं निहन्यमानांस्तान् दृष्ट्वा देवान् भयाकुलान् । कोपं कृत्वा रणायाशु संनद्धोऽभवदच्युतः
evaṃ nihanyamānāṃstān dṛṣṭvā devān bhayākulān | kopaṃ kṛtvā raṇāyāśu saṃnaddho'bhavadacyutaḥ
Als er sah, wie die Devas so niedergeschlagen wurden und in Furcht und Verwirrung gerieten, geriet Acyuta (Viṣṇu) in Zorn und rüstete sich ohne Zögern zum Kampf.
Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
The verse highlights how fear and disorder arise when dharma is threatened, and how divine resolve is awakened to restore cosmic balance—ultimately pointing, in Shaiva understanding, to Pati (Śiva) as the supreme ground of order even when other deities act within the drama of protection.
Though the verse names Acyuta (Viṣṇu), it sits within a Shaiva Purana narrative where all protective actions culminate in the supremacy of Śiva’s governance; worship of the Liṅga (Saguna Śiva as an accessible form) trains the devotee to seek the inner source of fearlessness beyond battlefield circumstances.
A practical takeaway is to convert fear into steadiness through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and simple Tripuṇḍra-bhasma remembrance of Śiva as the inner protector before undertaking difficult duties.