Shloka 19
अहो विधिबलं चैतन्मुनयः कश्यपादयः । वदंति स्म तदा सर्वे हरि लोकभयापदम्
aho vidhibalaṃ caitanmunayaḥ kaśyapādayaḥ | vadaṃti sma tadā sarve hari lokabhayāpadam
“Ah! Such is the overpowering force of Vidhi—the ordinance of destiny.” Then all the sages—Kāśyapa and the others—spoke together, addressing Hari, who had become the refuge in that fearful crisis threatening the worlds.
Suta Goswami (narrating the episode; the immediate speakers within the verse are the sages led by Kashyapa addressing Hari/Vishnu)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Īśāna
FAQs
It highlights vidhi-bala—how events unfold under a higher ordinance—yet shows that in times of loka-bhaya (worldly fear), the wise turn to the Divine for protection; in a Shaiva reading, such surrender ultimately points beyond fear toward Pati (the Lord) as the final refuge.
Though Hari is addressed here within the narrative, the Shiva Purana repeatedly teaches that all divine protections are fulfilled through the Supreme Lord’s governance; worship of Saguna Shiva in the Linga form trains the mind in śaraṇāgati (refuge), the same impulse shown by the sages during crisis.
The takeaway is śaraṇāgati with mantra-japa: in fear or upheaval, steady the mind with Panchakshara japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and simple daily Shiva-upāsanā, cultivating trust in the Lord’s ordering beyond vidhi-bala.