Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33
शिवस्य आश्वासनं हरि-ब्रह्मणोः तथा शङ्खचूडवृत्तान्तकथनम् / Śiva’s Reassurance to Hari and Brahmā; Account of Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Origin
सुदामा पार्षदो यो हि तव कृष्ण प्रियप्रियः । दानवीं योनिमाश्रित्येदानीं क्लिश्नाति वै जगत्
sudāmā pārṣado yo hi tava kṛṣṇa priyapriyaḥ | dānavīṃ yonimāśrityedānīṃ kliśnāti vai jagat
Sudāmā—quien fue antaño tu servidor y muy amado por ti, oh Kṛṣṇa—ha nacido ahora en un vientre de Dānava y, en el presente, aflige de veras al mundo.
Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating the Rudra Saṃhitā account to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Rudra
FAQs
It highlights the Purāṇic teaching that embodiment can change drastically through karma and divine will: even a formerly “beloved attendant” can take a Dānava birth and become a cause of worldly distress, urging seekers to rely on Śiva (Pati) for release from saṁsāra’s bondage (pāśa).
The verse underscores the instability of worldly identity (deva/dānava roles) and points to Saguna Śiva—worshiped as the Liṅga—as the steady refuge who purifies karma and grants protection and eventual liberation when devotion and right conduct mature.
A practical takeaway is steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Liṅga-pūjā and Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) remembrance, cultivating detachment from fluctuating births and aligning the mind to Śiva for inner peace.