Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 47
मेनावरलाभवर्णनम् — Description of Menā’s Attainment of Boons
and the worship leading to Umā’s advent
वृत्रशत्रावपि क्रुद्धे वेदनाशं सपक्षकम् । पविक्षतानां देवर्षे पक्षच्छिदि वराङ्गकम्
vṛtraśatrāvapi kruddhe vedanāśaṃ sapakṣakam | pavikṣatānāṃ devarṣe pakṣacchidi varāṅgakam
Oh sabio divino, aun cuando Indra—matador de Vṛtra—se enfurecía, esta fuerza destruía el sufrimiento junto con sus “alas”, es decir, sus causas sustentadoras. Para quienes eran heridos por el vajra, se volvía un noble medio de cortar las alas y extinguir la capacidad de dañar de nuevo.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Role: destructive
FAQs
The verse uses the image of wing-cutting to point to liberation: true relief is not merely easing pain, but severing its “wings”—the supporting causes that let suffering return. In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, it hints at cutting pāśa (bondage) so the soul moves toward Shiva’s grace and freedom.
Though the verse itself is metaphorical, it aligns with Saguna Shiva worship where the devotee seeks Shiva’s śakti to destroy not only visible distress but also its hidden supports (karma, impurity, attachment). Linga worship is approached as a means of uprooting the causes of duḥkha, not just obtaining temporary relief.
The practical takeaway is to pair devotion with inner severance: japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady vairāgya, and purification disciplines (e.g., Tripuṇḍra-bhasma with remembrance of Shiva) aimed at cutting the recurring causes of suffering.