Shloka 11
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
हिरण्यकवचं देवं चन्द्रमौलिवि भूषणम् । प्रपद्ये शरणं देव॑ं परमेण समाधिना
hiraṇyakavacaṃ devaṃ candramaulivibhūṣaṇam | prapadye śaraṇaṃ devaṃ parameṇa samādhinā ||
Sañjaya says: “I take refuge in that God who is clad in a golden cuirass and adorned with a moon-crested crown. With the highest concentration of mind, I surrender to the Divine as my sole protection.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models śaraṇāgati (taking refuge): in crisis and moral darkness, one steadies the mind through samādhi-like focus and entrusts oneself to the Divine as the ultimate protector, rather than relying solely on human power.
In the Sauptika Parva’s aftermath of night-violence, Sañjaya voices a devotional invocation, identifying the Lord by iconic marks (golden armor, moon-crested crown) and declaring surrender with concentrated mind—framing the events within a theistic, protective appeal.