Shloka 32
हिरण्यकशिपोः क्रोधः तथा देवप्रजाकदनम् — Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Wrath and the Affliction of Devas and Beings
उक्त्वेति पुत्रं दितिजाधिनाथो दैत्यर्षभान्वीरवरान्स राजा । गृह्णंतु वै सिंहममुं भवंतो वीरा विरूपभ्रुकुटीक्षणं तु
uktveti putraṃ ditijādhinātho daityarṣabhānvīravarānsa rājā | gṛhṇaṃtu vai siṃhamamuṃ bhavaṃto vīrā virūpabhrukuṭīkṣaṇaṃ tu
Having spoken thus to his son, the king—the lord of the Dānavas—addressed the bull-like chiefs among the Daityas, the foremost of heroes: “O valiant ones, seize this lion-like foe—terrible to behold, with a distorted frown and a fearsome gaze.”
Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating the Yuddhakhaṇḍa battle episode to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
The verse portrays the mobilization of demonic forces—symbolically, the surge of pasha (binding impurities like pride, anger, and delusion) that tries to overpower the divine-aligned hero. In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, it reflects how the bound soul (paśu) faces intensified resistance when moving toward Shiva (Pati) and liberation.
Though the verse is martial in tone, the Yuddhakhaṇḍa frames conflict as the contest between dharma aligned with Shiva’s will and adharmic forces. Devotion to Saguna Shiva—often centered on the Linga—strengthens steadiness (bhakti and śaraṇāgati) so the devotee is not ‘seized’ by hostile inner tendencies represented by the Daityas.
A practical takeaway is to fortify the mind against agitation through japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined purity practices such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa, which are traditionally upheld in the Shiva Purana as supports for Shiva-bhakti and inner restraint.