Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 4
रुद्रस्य रणप्रवेशः तथा दैत्यगणानां बाणवृष्टिः
Rudra Enters the Battlefield; the Daityas’ Arrow-Storm
दैत्या हि भीषणं रुद्रं सर्वे दृष्ट्वा विदुद्रुवुः । शांकरं पुरुषं दृष्ट्वा पातकानीव तद्भयात्
daityā hi bhīṣaṇaṃ rudraṃ sarve dṛṣṭvā vidudruvuḥ | śāṃkaraṃ puruṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā pātakānīva tadbhayāt
Als sie den furchtbaren Rudra erblickten, flohen alle Daityas in Panik. Beim Anblick Śaṅkaras — des höchsten Puruṣa — stoben sie vor Angst auseinander, wie Sünden, die in Seiner Gegenwart vergehen.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
Type: stotra
FAQs
The verse portrays Śiva as Pati, whose mere presence dissolves impurity: just as darkness cannot remain before light, pāpa (sin) cannot endure before Śāṅkara. It emphasizes that divine vision (darśana) of Rudra purifies and breaks fear-born bondage.
Rudra here is Saguna Śiva—God with form—whose darśana protects devotees and annihilates negativity. Linga-worship similarly centers on approaching Śiva as the purifying, refuge-giving Lord, before whom inner ‘sins’ and hostile tendencies lose power.
A practical takeaway is to seek Śiva-darśana daily through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and meditation on Rudra’s protective presence; optionally, apply Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder that impurities are burned away in Śiva’s grace.