Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 11
द्वन्द्वयुद्धवर्णनम् / Description of the Duel-Combats
अथ नन्दीश्वरो वीरः कालनेमिं महासुरम् । तमपास्य च शूलेन वक्षस्यभ्यहनद्दृढम्
atha nandīśvaro vīraḥ kālanemiṃ mahāsuram | tamapāsya ca śūlena vakṣasyabhyahanaddṛḍham
Alors le vaillant Nandīśvara, évitant le grand asura Kālanemi, le frappa solidement à la poitrine de son trident.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Bhairava
FAQs
Nandīśvara’s decisive strike symbolizes how Śiva’s grace and dharmic power overcome adharma: the devotee aligned with Pati (Śiva) becomes a force that removes obstructive, egoic asuric tendencies.
Though the scene is martial, it points to Saguna Śiva’s active protection of devotees: worship of the Liṅga is devotion to the same Lord whose śakti manifests as guardians like Nandīśvara to uphold cosmic order.
A practical takeaway is steadiness (dṛḍhatā) in japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—while mentally offering one’s inner ‘asuric’ impulses into Śiva’s purifying power (often supported by Tripuṇḍra and Rudrākṣa in Shaiva practice).