Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 65
हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्
The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms
ब्रह्मोवाच । इत्युक्त्वा मां स भगवान्सुश्रीमान्नीललोहितः । सगणः पश्यतो मे हि द्रुतमंतर्दधे हरः
brahmovāca | ityuktvā māṃ sa bhagavānsuśrīmānnīlalohitaḥ | sagaṇaḥ paśyato me hi drutamaṃtardadhe haraḥ
Brahmā dit : «Après m’avoir ainsi parlé, ce Seigneur bienheureux, l’auspicieux Nīlalohita aux teintes bleue et rouge, avec Ses gaṇas, disparut promptement de ma vue tandis que je regardais. Ainsi Hara se retira.»
Brahmā
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
Cosmic Event: īśvara-tirodhāna: the Lord’s self-concealment after issuing the creative mandate
FAQs
It highlights Śiva’s sovereignty over manifestation: He grants darśana (revelation) and then performs antardhāna (withdrawal), teaching that the Lord is not grasped by ego or mere sight but by devotion, purity, and grace.
Nīlalohita is a Saguna manifestation of Rudra witnessed by Brahmā; the swift disappearance points devotees to stable worship through Śiva-liṅga and mantra, where the same Lord is approached consistently even when visionary forms withdraw.
A practical takeaway is steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with focused dhyāna on Śiva as Hara, along with simple Śaiva disciplines like bhasma-dhāraṇa (Tripuṇḍra) and reverent remembrance of the Lord’s gaṇas and protection.