Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 58
भद्रस्य दिव्यरथारोहणं शङ्खनादश्च — Bhadra’s Divine Chariot-Ascent and the Conch-Blast
प्रावर्तत नदी घोरा प्राणिनां भयशंसिनी । रुधिरेण परिक्लिन्ना यज्ञभूमिस्तदा बभौ
prāvartata nadī ghorā prāṇināṃ bhayaśaṃsinī | rudhireṇa pariklinnā yajñabhūmistadā babhau
Da begann ein schrecklicher Fluss zu strömen, der allen Lebewesen Furcht verhieß; und zu jener Zeit erschien der Opferplatz vom Blut durchnässt und getränkt.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Bhairava
FAQs
The verse presents inauspicious omens—fearful portents and a blood-soaked yajña—signaling that action performed under delusion, hostility, or impurity becomes bondage (pāśa) for the pashu (bound soul). In Shaiva Siddhanta, such signs urge turning toward Shiva (Pati) for purification and right orientation of worship.
A yajña stained by violence and fear contrasts with pure, sattvic worship of Saguna Shiva through the Linga, where devotion (bhakti), mantra, and consecrated offerings purify the heart. The imagery implies that without reverence to Shiva’s dharma, ritual can degrade into harmful karma rather than liberating worship.
The practical takeaway is to restore purity through japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), maintaining śauca (cleanliness) in worship, and adopting Shaiva markers like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrāksha with a non-violent, devotional intent rather than fear-driven ritualism.