Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 55
अनिरुद्धापहरणानन्तरं कृष्णस्य शोणितपुरगमनम् तथा रुद्रकृष्णयुद्धारम्भः | After Aniruddha’s Abduction: Kṛṣṇa Marches to Śoṇitapura and the Rudra–Kṛṣṇa Battle Begins
त्वदाज्ञयाहं भगवान्बाणदोश्छेत्तुमागतः । त्वयैव शप्तो बाणोऽयं गर्वितो गर्वहारिणा
tvadājñayāhaṃ bhagavānbāṇadośchettumāgataḥ | tvayaiva śapto bāṇo'yaṃ garvito garvahāriṇā
„Auf deinen Befehl hin bin ich, der selige Herr, gekommen, um Bāṇas Verfehlung (seinen frevelhaften Hochmut) abzuschneiden. Dieser Bāṇa ist von dir selbst verflucht worden—o Vernichter des Stolzes—und doch ist er noch immer trunken von Überheblichkeit.“
Lord Vishnu (Hari)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga-sthala passage; the verse frames Hari acting under Rudra’s command, highlighting Śiva’s overlordship in the episode.
Significance: Didactic merit: hearing/reciting reinforces humility (garva-nigraha) and devotion to Śiva as Pati who subdues demonic pride.
Type: stotra
FAQs
The verse frames ego (garva) as the core “fault” to be cut away; even power and divine proximity cannot save one who clings to arrogance. In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, Shiva’s grace functions to remove the soul’s obscuring impurity expressed here as pride, restoring right orientation toward Pati (Shiva).
Calling Shiva “garva-hārin” points to Saguna Shiva as the compassionate Lord who actively corrects devotees and adversaries alike. Linga-worship is precisely this surrender—approaching Shiva as the supreme governor whose grace disciplines the ego and re-establishes dharma.
The practical takeaway is humility through japa and self-offering: repeat the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with the intention of dissolving pride, and perform simple Shiva-pūjā (water/abhisheka, bilva offering) as an act of obedience to Shiva’s will rather than self-display.