Shloka 31
अध्याय १७ — देवपलायनं, विष्णोः प्रतियुद्धं, जलंधरक्रोधः
Devas’ Rout, Viṣṇu’s Counterattack, and Jalandhara’s Wrath
छिन्ने त्रिशूले दैत्येन्द्र उत्प्लुत्य सहसा द्रुतम् । आगत्य हृदये विष्णुं जघान दृढमुष्टिना
chinne triśūle daityendra utplutya sahasā drutam | āgatya hṛdaye viṣṇuṃ jaghāna dṛḍhamuṣṭinā
When the demon-king’s trident was shattered, he suddenly sprang up at once and rushed forward; coming close, he struck Viṣṇu upon the chest with a hard, clenched fist.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the battle to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Rudra
Significance: Moral-ritual subtext: asuric force (pāśa—bondage through ahaṅkāra/raudra-bala) can strike even devas; protection is ultimately through Śiva’s governance of karma and concealment (tirodhāna).
FAQs
The verse depicts the surge of demonic ego-force even after its weapon is broken—symbolizing how inner negativity can still strike at the “heart” (hṛdaya). In a Śaiva Siddhānta reading, such conflict points to the need for Pati’s (Śiva’s) grace to finally subdue the pasha (bondage) that persists beyond external victories.
Though the verse names Viṣṇu, it occurs within the Rudra Saṃhitā’s battle frame where divine order is upheld under Śiva’s overarching sovereignty. Worship of the Liṅga (Saguna Śiva as the accessible symbol of the Supreme) trains the devotee to steady the heart so it is not ‘struck’ by reactive impulses—turning conflict into disciplined devotion.
A practical takeaway is hṛdaya-sthairya (steadiness of the heart): daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and, if undertaken, Rudrākṣa dhāraṇa—so the mind does not lunge impulsively like the daitya, but becomes anchored in Śiva-bhakti.