Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 16
भूतत्रिपुरधर्मवर्णनम् (Description of the Dharma/Conduct of the Bhūta-Tripura) — Chapter 3
कथं धर्मा भविष्यंति त्रिपुरे जीविते सति । देवदुःखप्रदा नूनं सर्वे त्रिपुरवासिनः
kathaṃ dharmā bhaviṣyaṃti tripure jīvite sati | devaduḥkhapradā nūnaṃ sarve tripuravāsinaḥ
Comment le dharma pourrait-il prévaloir tant que Tripura demeure en vie ? En vérité, tous les habitants de Tripura sont assurément la cause de la souffrance des dieux.
The Devas (gods), speaking among themselves in distress (as narrated by Suta Goswami)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it is the devas’ lament that adharma cannot stand while Tripura (the triple city of the asuras) persists, setting the narrative necessity for Śiva’s Tripurāntaka act.
Significance: Frames the ethical/political crisis that culminates in Śiva’s intervention; recitation is traditionally taken as cultivating vairāgya toward adharma and confidence in Śiva’s restoring order.
FAQs
It states that dharma cannot thrive where aggressive ego and oppression dominate; when adharmic forces like Tripura prevail, even the Devas suffer—signaling the need for Pati (Shiva) to restore cosmic order and re-establish righteous living.
The Devas’ helplessness points to Shiva as the accessible Saguna protector who responds to devotion and restores dharma; in Purāṇic practice, such remembrance naturally turns devotees toward Linga-worship as a stable symbol of Shiva’s saving presence.
A practical takeaway is to seek Shiva’s protection through japa of the Panchākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and cultivate dharmic conduct; when facing “Tripura-like” inner negativity, steady mantra-japa and devotion are the recommended refuge.