Shloka 25
Śiva-nāma-smaraṇa and Śambhu’s Protective Manifestation
Dāruka Episode
इमा राक्षसपत्न्यस्तु प्रसविष्यंति पुत्रकान् । ते सर्वे मिलिताश्चैव वने वासाय मे मताः
imā rākṣasapatnyastu prasaviṣyaṃti putrakān | te sarve militāścaiva vane vāsāya me matāḥ
These wives of the rākṣasas will indeed give birth to sons. All those sons, gathered together, are—according to my resolve—meant to dwell in the forest.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Sthala Purana: Continues the build-up: proliferation of rākṣasa progeny destined for forest-dwelling intensifies the ‘covering’ (tirodhāna) of dharma in the region, setting the stage for Śiva’s protective anugraha later.
Significance: Didactic: warns that unchecked adharma multiplies through saṃskāra/lineage and environment (vana), becoming collective bondage (pāśa) for society.
FAQs
It reflects Shiva’s dharmic governance of beings: births and habitats are arranged so that cosmic order (dharma) is preserved, reminding the devotee that Pati (Shiva) ultimately regulates the destinies of pashus (individual beings).
Though the verse is narrative, it supports Saguna Shiva’s role as the divine ruler who organizes creation and restraint; worship of the Linga honors that sovereign, stabilizing power that maintains order amid tamasic forces.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate restraint and boundary—mentally “placing” disruptive tendencies away from the inner sanctum—supported by japa of the Panchakshara mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and steadying disciplines like bhasma-dhāraṇa and Rudraksha if one follows Shaiva practice.