Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 6
दक्षयज्ञोत्तरवृत्तान्तः
Post–Dakṣa-Yajña Developments and the Appeal to Viṣṇu
किं कार्य्यं कार्यमद्याशु मया देवसुखावहम् । येन जीवतु दक्षासौ मखः पूर्णो भवेत्सुरः
kiṃ kāryyaṃ kāryamadyāśu mayā devasukhāvaham | yena jīvatu dakṣāsau makhaḥ pūrṇo bhavetsuraḥ
„Welche Tat soll ich vollbringen—welche sofortige Handlung—damit sie den Göttern Freude bringt, damit Daksha am Leben bleibt und damit dieses Opfer (Yajña) vollständig vollendet werde, o Deva?“
Vishnu (inferred, advising in the Daksha-yajña context of Sati Khanda)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
The verse highlights the urgency to restore harmony after a rupture in sacred order: ritual (yajña) is meant to serve dharma and cosmic balance, but it becomes fruitful only when aligned with reverence to the Supreme (Pati, Shiva) rather than ego or hostility.
In the Daksha-yajña narrative, the crisis arises from excluding Shiva from worship. The verse implicitly points to the Shaiva teaching that all rites gain completion when Shiva is honored—often expressed through Saguna worship such as Linga-pūjā, which re-centers the sacrifice in devotion.
The practical takeaway is reconciliation through Shiva-centered devotion: perform Shiva-pūjā (especially Linga worship) with mantra-japa such as the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and cultivate humility so that ritual becomes a means of purification rather than pride.