भूतत्रिपुरधर्मवर्णनम् (Description of the Dharma/Conduct of the Bhūta-Tripura) — Chapter 3
अवशिष्टाश्च ये केचित्पलायनपरायणाः । निस्सृत्यारं समायाता हरेर्निकटमाकुलाः
avaśiṣṭāśca ye kecitpalāyanaparāyaṇāḥ | nissṛtyāraṃ samāyātā harernikaṭamākulāḥ
And those few who still remained—intent only on fleeing—rushed out through the gateway and, in great agitation, came close to Hari (Viṣṇu) for refuge.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Yuddhakhaṇḍa episode to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Cosmic Event: Tripura conflict (deva-asura war narrative context)
It highlights the instinct of beings to seek śaraṇāgati (refuge) when overwhelmed; in Shaiva Siddhanta, true safety is ultimately under Pati (Śiva), while even turning to Hari here shows the universal movement toward divine protection amid fear and karma.
Though the verse names Hari, it occurs within Śiva’s Yuddhakhaṇḍa narrative, underscoring that Saguna forms (Hari and Hara) function as accessible refuges for devotees; Linga-worship similarly trains the mind in surrender to the Supreme Lord who stands beyond fear and conflict.
A practical takeaway is cultivating śaraṇāgati through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and steady devotion; in fear or agitation, returning to mantra and inner remembrance is the meditative equivalent of “approaching the Lord’s proximity.”