Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 68
गजासुरतपः–देवलोकक्षोभः
Gajāsura’s Austerities and the Disturbance of the Worlds
कथयित्वेति देवेशस्तत्कृतिं परिगृह्य च । गजासुरस्य महतीं प्रावृणोद्धि दिगंबरः
kathayitveti deveśastatkṛtiṃ parigṛhya ca | gajāsurasya mahatīṃ prāvṛṇoddhi digaṃbaraḥ
Nachdem er so gesprochen hatte, nahm der Herr der Götter jene Haut an sich; und Śiva, der Himmelsgekleidete (Digambara), bedeckte Sich mit der gewaltigen Haut des Gajāsura.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Gajasamhāramūrti
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: The episode is situated in the Kāśī milieu where Śiva’s victory over the asura becomes a kṣetra-glorifying narrative; the ‘Kṛttivāsa’ epithet (wearer of hide) is tied to Śiva’s act of donning the demon’s skin, later remembered in local liṅga-nāma traditions.
Significance: Contemplation of Śiva as Kṛttivāsa/Gajasaṃhāra is held to remove fear and inner ‘paśutva’ (animality), strengthening surrender to Pati in the liberating field of Kāśī.
FAQs
Śiva’s wearing of Gajāsura’s hide symbolizes the Lord’s mastery over tamas and egoic pride (āsurī-bhāva). The asura’s power is transformed into a sign of Śiva’s sovereignty, teaching that liberation comes when the Lord subdues and repurposes the forces that bind the soul.
Though the Liṅga points to the transcendent (nirguṇa) reality, this verse highlights Saguna Śiva—His tangible līlā and iconography (Digambara, the conqueror of asuras). Devotees contemplate such forms to focus devotion, while understanding that the form reveals the formless Lord.
Meditate on Śiva as Digambara—space as His garment—while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” offering inner surrender of pride and possessiveness. A simple practice is to apply vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and remember that all coverings are transient before the Lord who is beyond all coverings.