Shloka 22
द्विजेश्वरावतारः
The Manifestation of Shiva as Dvijeśvara
द्विजेश्वर उवाच । राजन्क ते महास्त्राणि क्व ते त्राणं महद्धनुः । क्व ते द्वादशसाहस्रमहानागायुतम्बलम्
dvijeśvara uvāca | rājanka te mahāstrāṇi kva te trāṇaṃ mahaddhanuḥ | kva te dvādaśasāhasramahānāgāyutambalam
The foremost of the twice-born said: “O King, where are your mighty weapons? Where is your protective armour and your great bow? Where is that vast force—twelve thousand mighty elephants and countless troops?”
Dvijeshvara (a leading Brahmin sage)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
It contrasts worldly power—weapons, armour, elephants, and armies—with the deeper Shaiva insight that true security ultimately rests in the Lord (Pati, Shiva) rather than in external force.
By questioning the reliability of material defenses, the verse implicitly points the devotee toward Saguna Shiva as the giver of protection and order—often approached through Linga worship as a stable refuge amid change.
Cultivating śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) through japa of the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and maintaining Shaiva disciplines like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrāksha as reminders that protection is ultimately Shiva-centered.