अन्धकादिदैत्ययुद्धे वीरकविजयः — Vīraka’s Victory over Andhaka’s Forces
सुतीक्ष्णखङ्गोद्यतपाणिरूपा समाययौ नैरृति घोरचापा । तोयालिका वारणपाशहस्ता विनिर्गता युद्धमभीप्समाना
sutīkṣṇakhaṅgodyatapāṇirūpā samāyayau nairṛti ghoracāpā | toyālikā vāraṇapāśahastā vinirgatā yuddhamabhīpsamānā
Nairṛti arrived, her form with a razor-sharp sword raised in her hand and a dreadful bow. Toyālikā also came forth, holding an elephant-noose in her hand, desiring battle.
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Kālabhairava
The verse portrays Shakti’s fierce, protective forces entering battle—symbolizing how divine power removes obstacles to dharma. In Shaiva Siddhanta language, such forces operate under the supreme Lord (Pati) to loosen the bonds (pāśa) that keep beings (paśu) in fear and disorder.
Though the verse is martial, it supports Saguna worship by showing the Lord’s cosmic governance expressed through manifest powers and attendants. Devotees worship the Shiva-Linga as the stable center (Shiva) from which dynamic energies (Shakti and her hosts) act to protect righteousness and restore balance.
A practical takeaway is fearlessness through japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and taking refuge in Shiva before conflict (inner or outer). Meditatively, contemplate the ‘pāśa’ (bondage) being cut by divine grace, supported by simple Shaiva disciplines like bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and steady mantra-japa.