Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 4
रुद्रस्य रणप्रवेशः तथा दैत्यगणानां बाणवृष्टिः
Rudra Enters the Battlefield; the Daityas’ Arrow-Storm
दैत्या हि भीषणं रुद्रं सर्वे दृष्ट्वा विदुद्रुवुः । शांकरं पुरुषं दृष्ट्वा पातकानीव तद्भयात्
daityā hi bhīṣaṇaṃ rudraṃ sarve dṛṣṭvā vidudruvuḥ | śāṃkaraṃ puruṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā pātakānīva tadbhayāt
À la vue du terrible Rudra, tous les Daityas s’enfuirent, saisis de panique. En contemplant Śāṅkara—le Purusha suprême—ils se dispersèrent de peur, tels des péchés qui s’évanouissent devant Sa présence.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
Type: stotra
FAQs
The verse portrays Śiva as Pati, whose mere presence dissolves impurity: just as darkness cannot remain before light, pāpa (sin) cannot endure before Śāṅkara. It emphasizes that divine vision (darśana) of Rudra purifies and breaks fear-born bondage.
Rudra here is Saguna Śiva—God with form—whose darśana protects devotees and annihilates negativity. Linga-worship similarly centers on approaching Śiva as the purifying, refuge-giving Lord, before whom inner ‘sins’ and hostile tendencies lose power.
A practical takeaway is to seek Śiva-darśana daily through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and meditation on Rudra’s protective presence; optionally, apply Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder that impurities are burned away in Śiva’s grace.