Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 20
दीक्षितपुत्रस्य दैन्यचिन्ता तथा शिवरात्र्युपासनाप्रसङ्गः / The Initiate’s Son in Distress and the Occasion of Śivarātri Worship
यावद्भयात्समागत्य तावत्स पुररक्षकैः । पलायमानो निहतः क्षणादंधत्वमागतः
yāvadbhayātsamāgatya tāvatsa purarakṣakaiḥ | palāyamāno nihataḥ kṣaṇādaṃdhatvamāgataḥ
Dès qu’il s’approcha, saisi de peur, les gardes de la cité l’abattirent aussitôt ; et, tandis qu’il tentait de fuir, en un instant il fut réduit à la cécité.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Kālabhairava
Shakti Form: Kālī
Role: destructive
FAQs
It highlights how fear-driven, adharmic action quickly collapses under the force of dharmic order; in Shaiva understanding, when one turns from right conduct and inner clarity, the result is loss of discernment—symbolized here as sudden blindness.
The verse contrasts outer panic with inner steadiness; Saguna Shiva worship (Linga-upāsanā with bhakti) is taught across the Rudra Samhita as a means to gain śiva-jñāna (clear seeing) and protection from the darkness of delusion.
Cultivate steadiness through japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined dharma; the practical takeaway is to replace fear and flight with remembrance of Shiva and clarity of conduct.