Shloka 17
शिवानुकम्पा, ब्रह्मणो निर्भयत्वं च (Śiva’s Compassion and Brahmā’s Fearlessness)
यस्त्वां चानेन रूपेण दृष्ट्वा कौ विचरिष्यति । किमेतद्ब्रह्मणो मूर्ध्नि वदन्निति पुरान्तकः
yastvāṃ cānena rūpeṇa dṛṣṭvā kau vicariṣyati | kimetadbrahmaṇo mūrdhni vadanniti purāntakaḥ
„Wer könnte, nachdem er dich in eben dieser Gestalt gesehen hat, noch anderswo umherwandern und eine andere Zuflucht suchen? Was ist dies auf Brahmās Haupt?“—so sprach Purāntaka, der Zerstörer der Städte.
Lord Shiva (Purāntaka), as inferred from the epithet used in the verse within the Sati Khanda narrative
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka
Shakti Form: Satī
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse highlights the Shaiva Siddhanta emphasis on Shiva as Pati, the ultimate refuge: once His grace-filled darśana is received, the seeker’s tendency to roam among lesser supports naturally ceases, turning inward toward liberation through devotion.
It affirms the transformative power of perceiving Shiva’s manifest (saguṇa) presence—whether as a divine form or as the Liṅga—because such worship is a vehicle of grace that steadies the mind from outward wandering and anchors it in Shiva as the supreme reality.
A practical takeaway is focused darśana and japa: contemplate Shiva as the sole refuge while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), ideally with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa to support steadiness and devotion.