Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 25
देवपराजयः — शङ्करशरणागमनं स्कन्दकालीयुद्धं च | Devas’ Defeat, Refuge in Śaṅkara, and the Battle of Skanda and Kālī
तदैव शङ्खचूडश्च महामायी महाबलः । शरेणैकेन दिव्येन धनुश्चिच्छेद तस्य वै
tadaiva śaṅkhacūḍaśca mahāmāyī mahābalaḥ | śareṇaikena divyena dhanuściccheda tasya vai
À cet instant même, Śaṅkhacūḍa—doué d’une grande puissance de māyā et d’une force immense—d’un seul trait divin trancha son arc.
Sūta Gosvāmī (narrating the battle account to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra
FAQs
The verse highlights the swift, decisive force of divya-śakti in battle and reminds that mere strength amplified by māyā can produce dramatic results, yet it remains within the changing field of action (karma) and not the liberating power of Shiva’s grace that leads to moksha.
In the Yuddhakhaṇḍa, such battle episodes contrast worldly power with true refuge in Saguna Shiva—often revered as the Liṅga—signifying the stable, transcendent Lord (Pati) beyond the fluctuations of weapons, victories, and defeats.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate inner steadiness through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined worship (abhisheka, tripuṇḍra/bhasma reverence), so the mind is not “cut down” by the arrows of māyā in conflict and agitation.