Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 28
अध्याय १७ — देवपलायनं, विष्णोः प्रतियुद्धं, जलंधरक्रोधः
Devas’ Rout, Viṣṇu’s Counterattack, and Jalandhara’s Wrath
तया हतो महादैत्यो न चचालापि किंचन । जलंधरो मदोन्मत्तः पुष्पमालाहतो यथा
tayā hato mahādaityo na cacālāpi kiṃcana | jalaṃdharo madonmattaḥ puṣpamālāhato yathā
Frappé par elle, le grand démon ne bougea pas même d’un rien. Jalandhara, ivre d’orgueil, était comme touché par une guirlande de fleurs : sans frémir, pensant que ce n’était pas un vrai coup.
Suta Goswami (narrating the battle account to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
It highlights how mada (egoic pride) makes a being insensitive to correction—when consciousness is clouded, even a real warning is dismissed as harmless, delaying repentance and deepening bondage (pāśa).
In Shaiva understanding, the Linga represents the steady, purifying presence of Shiva that dissolves ego. This verse shows the opposite state—an asuric mind so pride-filled that it cannot ‘feel’ the corrective force of dharma, which Linga-worship is meant to awaken through humility and surrender.
A practical takeaway is daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—with bhāva of humility, along with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) remembrance to reduce mada and cultivate receptivity to Shiva’s grace.