Shloka 17
गिलासुर-आक्रमणम् तथा शिवसैन्य-समाह्वानम् — The Assault of Gila and Śiva’s Mobilization
ततस्तेनोक्तास्ते प्रणयवचनैरात्मनि हितैः कदास्माद्वै घोराद्भवति मम मोक्षो मुनिवराः । यतः क्रुद्धैरुक्तो विधसहरणाद्युद्धसमये ततो घोरैर्बाणैर्विदलितमुखे मुष्टिभिरलम्
tatastenoktāste praṇayavacanairātmani hitaiḥ kadāsmādvai ghorādbhavati mama mokṣo munivarāḥ | yataḥ kruddhairukto vidhasaharaṇādyuddhasamaye tato ghorairbāṇairvidalitamukhe muṣṭibhiralam
Then, addressed by him with affectionate and well‑meaning words, they said: “O best of sages, when will mokṣa—liberation—come to me from this dreadful state? For in the time of battle, when the enraged one spoke of seizing the Creator Brahmā’s portion, my face was torn by terrible arrows—enough of these blows of fists!”
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the battle episode to the sages of Naiṃiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
It expresses the soul’s exhaustion with suffering and fear and its urgent longing for moksha; in Shaiva Siddhanta, this points to recognizing bondage (pāśa) and turning inward toward Shiva’s grace (anugraha) as the true means of release.
The verse contrasts the turmoil of battle with the desire for liberation, implying that refuge in Saguna Shiva—worshipped as the Linga with devotion—stabilizes the mind and redirects one from conflict to surrender, preparing the seeker for Shiva’s liberating grace.
A practical takeaway is japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with bhakti, supported by Tripuṇḍra bhasma and Rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness—transforming fear into remembrance and prayer for Shiva’s anugraha.