अध्याय १७ — देवपलायनं, विष्णोः प्रतियुद्धं, जलंधरक्रोधः
Devas’ Rout, Viṣṇu’s Counterattack, and Jalandhara’s Wrath
ततस्समभवद्युद्धं विष्णुदैत्येन्द्रयोर्महत् । आकाशं कुर्वतोर्बाणैस्तदा निरवकाशवत्
tatassamabhavadyuddhaṃ viṣṇudaityendrayormahat | ākāśaṃ kurvatorbāṇaistadā niravakāśavat
Then a mighty battle arose between Viṣṇu and the lord of the Daityas. With their volleys of arrows they filled the sky so completely that it seemed to leave no space at all.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka
It portrays the overwhelming force of conflict driven by opposing powers, reminding the seeker that even “great” battles fill the inner sky with agitation; Shaiva Siddhānta points beyond such turbulence toward refuge in Pati (Śiva), the only stable ground for peace and liberation.
The verse highlights the limits of power and weaponry; in the Shiva Purana’s devotional frame, turning to Saguna Śiva—symbolized by the Liṅga—centers the mind in a form that leads beyond fear and rivalry, toward the grace that resolves what force cannot.
As an antidote to the “sky filled with arrows” of restless thoughts, practice japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with steady breath, optionally wearing Rudrākṣa and applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) to cultivate calm, protection, and devotion.