Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 19
क्रौञ्चशरणागमनम् तथा बाणासुरवधः
Krauñca Seeks Refuge; Slaying of Bāṇāsura
तस्मिन्नवसरे शेषपुत्रः कुमुद नामकः । आजगाम कुमारस्य शरणं दैत्यपीडितः
tasminnavasare śeṣaputraḥ kumuda nāmakaḥ | ājagāma kumārasya śaraṇaṃ daityapīḍitaḥ
À cet instant même, Kumuda—que l’on dit fils de Śeṣa—arriva, tourmenté par les daityas, et chercha refuge aux pieds de Kumāra (le Seigneur Skanda).
Suta Goswami (narrating the Kumārakhaṇḍa account to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: A distressed being (Kumuda, son of Śeṣa) approaches Kumāra for refuge, introducing a protection-and-grace episode typical of kṣetra narratives where divine aid follows śaraṇāgati.
Significance: Highlights śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge) as the turning point from affliction to protection—an ethical-spiritual template for devotees facing pāśa-like oppression (here, daityas).
FAQs
It highlights śaraṇāgati—seeking divine refuge when overwhelmed by hostile forces—showing that protection flows through Shiva’s grace, here manifest via Kumāra as the guardian of dharma.
Though the scene centers on Kumāra, the theology is Saguna: the Lord’s compassionate power becomes accessible through divine forms and attendants; refuge in Kumāra is ultimately refuge in Shiva’s protective śakti.
A practical takeaway is śaraṇa-mantra japa—remembering Shiva with the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) or invoking Skanda for protection—paired with steady devotion (bhakti) during distress.