Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 24
विष्णोः स्तुतिः—शिवसतीरक्षावचनम्
Viṣṇu’s Hymn and the Petition for Śiva–Satī’s Protection
प्रादुर्भूतस्ततो धूमो भूयांस्तत्र समंततः । तादृग् येन तमो भूतं वेदीभूमिविनिर्मितम्
prādurbhūtastato dhūmo bhūyāṃstatra samaṃtataḥ | tādṛg yena tamo bhūtaṃ vedībhūmivinirmitam
Alors, une fumée épaisse se manifesta tout autour de ce lieu, si dense que le sol même de l’autel sacrificiel semblait s’être changé en ténèbres.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
FAQs
The sudden smoke and darkness at the altar signals a disruption of mere ritualism (karma-kāṇḍa) when it is divorced from reverence to Pati—Lord Shiva. In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, it hints that external rites cannot overrule divine order; grace and right orientation toward Shiva are essential for auspiciousness.
The verse underscores that yajña-space itself can lose clarity and auspicious light when Shiva is not honored. It supports the Purana’s recurring theme that Saguna Shiva—worshipped as Linga and Lord—stabilizes dharma and sanctifies ritual; without that devotion, even a well-constructed vedī becomes symbolically 'darkened.'
As a corrective to ritual imbalance, the practical takeaway is to invoke Shiva through the Panchākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and maintain purity with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and inward devotion, so that worship is illumined by Shiva-bhakti rather than being merely external performance.