Shloka 4
द्वन्द्वयुद्धवर्णनम् / Description of the Duel-Combats
ततः शक्तिधरः क्रुद्धो बाणैः पंचभिरेव च । विव्याध स्यंदने तस्य हयान्यन्तारमेव च
tataḥ śaktidharaḥ kruddho bāṇaiḥ paṃcabhireva ca | vivyādha syaṃdane tasya hayānyantārameva ca
Then Śaktidhara, enraged, with only five arrows pierced his chariot and struck the horses yoked to it, right in their vital inner parts.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Kālāntaka
FAQs
It depicts how anger drives focused, forceful action in worldly conflict, implicitly contrasting battle-minded passion with the Shaiva ideal of mastering krodha (anger) through devotion and inner discipline under Pati (Shiva), the Lord who liberates the bound soul (paśu) from such impulses.
Though the verse is martial, the Yuddhakhaṇḍa context reminds devotees that Saguna Shiva’s narratives encompass protection, order, and the restoration of dharma; Linga-worship centers the mind on Shiva as the steady refuge beyond turbulence, even when the story describes intense combat.
A practical takeaway is to counter anger with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and, if one follows Shiva Purana observances, to steady the mind with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa while practicing breath-awareness before acting.