Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 36
देवाः वैकुण्ठगमनम् तथा विष्णोः अवतारस्तुतिः | Devas Go to Vaikuṇṭha and Praise Viṣṇu’s Avatāras
मौर्यास्तु लक्षसंख्याता धौम्रा हि शतसंख्यकाः । असुराः कोटिसंख्याताः कालकेयास्तथैव च
mauryāstu lakṣasaṃkhyātā dhaumrā hi śatasaṃkhyakāḥ | asurāḥ koṭisaṃkhyātāḥ kālakeyāstathaiva ca
„Die Mauryas zählten lakhs, die Dhūmras Hunderte; die Asuras wurden in crores gezählt, und ebenso die Kālakeyas.“
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Rudra
FAQs
By listing vast demonic hosts, the Purana emphasizes that sheer numbers and power cannot overcome dharma; in Shaiva Siddhanta, such forces symbolize pasha—binding tendencies like pride, violence, and delusion—ultimately subdued by the Lord’s grace and right order.
In the Yuddha narrative, Saguna Shiva is the active protector who restrains chaos; devotion to Shiva—often centered on the Linga as the stable axis of consciousness—reminds the devotee that the Lord’s presence is the true refuge when worldly threats appear ‘countless.’
A practical takeaway is steadiness in japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and simple Shiva-upāsanā (Linga worship with bhasma/tripuṇḍra and rudrākṣa), cultivating fearlessness and inner restraint when confronting overwhelming impulses.