Shloka 34

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

अथाह भगवान् रुद्रो देवानालोक्य शङ्करः पशूनामाधिपत्यं मे दत्तं हन्मि ततो ऽसुरान्

Transliteration

athāha bhagavān rudro devānālokya śaṅkaraḥ paśūnāmādhipatyaṃ me dattaṃ hanmi tato 'surān

Translation

Then the Blessed Lord Rudra—Śaṅkara—looked upon the Devas and said: “The sovereignty over the paśus (bound souls) has been bestowed upon me; therefore I shall strike down the Asuras.”

Word by Word

• atha: then

• āha: said

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord

• rudraḥ: Rudra (Śiva)

• devān: the Devas

• ālokya: having looked upon/observed

• śaṅkaraḥ: Śaṅkara (the beneficent one)

• paśūnām: of the paśus (souls bound by pāśa)

• ādhipatyam: lordship/sovereignty

• me: to me/mine

• dattam: given/bestowed

• hanmi: I strike/I slay

• tataḥ: therefore/thereupon

• asurān: the Asuras (anti-dharmic powers).

Speaker

Shiva (Rudra/Śaṅkara)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Rudra/Śaṅkara)
• Devas
• Asuras
• Pashu (bound souls)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames Śiva as Pashupati (Pati), the supreme Lord who governs and protects the paśus (souls). Linga worship is thus devotion to the Pati who removes pāśa (bondage) and restores dharma by subduing asuric forces.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva-tattva is presented as sovereign authority (ādhipatya) over paśus, implying mastery over the entire field of embodied beings and their bonds. His destruction of Asuras is a compassionate, dharma-protecting act that supports the soul’s movement toward liberation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to the Pāśupata orientation: recognizing inner and outer “Asuras” (adharmic impulses) and offering oneself to Pashupati through Shiva-bhakti and discipline, so that bondage (pāśa) is cut and the soul (paśu) comes under the Lord’s grace.