Shloka 41
दधीचाश्रमगमनम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and Dadhīca’s Fearlessness
Kṣu’s Request
देवाश्च दुद्रुवुर्भूयो देवं नारायणं च तम् । योद्धुकामाश्च मुनिना दधीचेन प्रतापिना
devāśca dudruvurbhūyo devaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ ca tam | yoddhukāmāśca muninā dadhīcena pratāpinā
Then the gods again hurried to that Lord Nārāyaṇa, for they desired to wage battle against the mighty sage Dadhīci, blazing with spiritual power.
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Sthala Purana: No Jyotirliṅga linkage; the verse depicts devas seeking martial resolution, illustrating how even celestial beings can act under limited discernment (pāśa) when confronted by tapas.
Significance: Didactic: tapas and brahminical restraint outrank mere deva-force; pilgrims/readers are urged toward humility and dharma rather than factional conflict.
FAQs
It highlights how even the Devas, when shaken by a sage’s tapas (inner fire), seek higher refuge; Shaiva perspective stresses that spiritual power is not merely martial strength but the fruit of discipline, and conflicts born of ego must be resolved through alignment with dharma and ultimately with Pati (the Supreme Lord).
Though the verse names Nārāyaṇa, the Satīkhaṇḍa setting teaches that divine authority is harmonized under the Supreme; devotion to Saguna Shiva (often through Linga worship) is presented in the Purāṇa as the stabilizing center beyond reactive fear and aggression, guiding beings from conflict toward grace.
The implied takeaway is to cultivate tapas through japa and restraint rather than impulsive action—daily Panchākṣarī japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady meditation is the Shaiva corrective to agitation and hostility.