Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 20
देवाः वैकुण्ठगमनम् तथा विष्णोः अवतारस्तुतिः | Devas Go to Vaikuṇṭha and Praise Viṣṇu’s Avatāras
सूर्यो निस्सारितः स्थानाच्चन्द्रो वह्निस्तथैव च । पातालान्नागराजश्च धर्मराजो निराकृतः
sūryo nissāritaḥ sthānāccandro vahnistathaiva ca | pātālānnāgarājaśca dharmarājo nirākṛtaḥ
Le Soleil fut chassé de sa demeure; la Lune et le Feu de même. Des régions de Pātāla, le roi des Nāga fut expulsé, et même Yama, Seigneur du Dharma, fut repoussé.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Cosmic Event: loka-vyatikrama (cosmic order disrupted; deities displaced from their adhikāra-sthāna)
FAQs
It portrays the collapse of ordinary cosmic governance—Sun, Moon, Fire, Nāgas, and even Yama—showing that all delegated powers operate only under the Supreme Lord (Pati). In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, finite authorities cannot override Shiva’s supreme will and grace.
The verse highlights Shiva as the ultimate sovereign beyond all cosmic functionaries. Linga-worship trains the mind to take refuge in that highest Lord—Saguna Shiva as the accessible focus—knowing that even death and destiny (Yama/Dharma) are subordinate to Him.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate fearlessness through Shiva-smaraṇa: daily japa of the Panchākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and reverent application of Tripuṇḍra-bhasma, remembering that protection and liberation come from Shiva, not from worldly powers.