Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 49
देवदैत्यसामान्ययुद्धवर्णनम् — Description of the General Battle Between Devas and Daityas
तेन तञ्च जघानासौ दैत्यानामधिपं हरिः । तत्प्रहारेण महता व्यथितो न्यपतद्भुवि
tena tañca jaghānāsau daityānāmadhipaṃ hariḥ | tatprahāreṇa mahatā vyathito nyapatadbhuvi
With that very weapon, Hari (Viṣṇu) struck down the lord of the Daityas. Wounded and shaken by that mighty blow, he fell upon the earth.
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
FAQs
It portrays the inevitable fall of adharma: when divine order is upheld, even powerful demonic dominion collapses. In a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, such victories ultimately serve Śiva’s cosmic governance (niyati), restoring conditions conducive to dharma and spiritual pursuit.
Though Hari is the immediate actor, the Shiva Purana frames cosmic protection as aligned with Śiva’s supreme sovereignty. For devotees, this supports Saguna worship—seeing divine interventions as expressions of the one Lord’s guardianship—strengthening faith in Śiva’s protective grace accessed through Liṅga-bhakti.
The practical takeaway is dharma-sādhana during turmoil: steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and mental refuge in Śiva as Pati (the Lord) to remain unshaken when confronting inner ‘daityas’ like anger and pride.