Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1
अनिरुद्धापहरणानन्तरं कृष्णस्य शोणितपुरगमनम् तथा रुद्रकृष्णयुद्धारम्भः | After Aniruddha’s Abduction: Kṛṣṇa Marches to Śoṇitapura and the Rudra–Kṛṣṇa Battle Begins
व्यास उवाच । अनिरुद्धे हृतै पौत्रे कृष्णस्य मुनिसत्तम । कुंभांडसुतया कृष्णः किमकार्षीद्धि तद्वद
vyāsa uvāca | aniruddhe hṛtai pautre kṛṣṇasya munisattama | kuṃbhāṃḍasutayā kṛṣṇaḥ kimakārṣīddhi tadvada
Vyāsa dit : «Ô le meilleur des sages, lorsque Aniruddha—petit-fils de Kṛṣṇa—fut enlevé par la fille de Kumbhāṇḍa, que fit donc Kṛṣṇa en ce moment-là ? Dis-le-moi.»
Vyāsa
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse frames a crisis—abduction of a righteous family member—as the start of a dharmic response. In a Shaiva reading, it highlights that worldly power and relationships are unstable, and that protection of dharma ultimately depends on aligning action with the Lord’s will (Śiva as Pati, the sovereign guide of outcomes).
Though the verse is narrative and names Kṛṣṇa, the Shiva Purana’s broader intent is to show that even great beings act within Śiva’s cosmic order. Saguna Śiva (worshiped as the Liṅga) is approached as the stabilizing refuge and the inner ruler who turns conflict into spiritual maturation and dharma-restoration.
A practical takeaway is to take refuge in japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—especially during fear or uncertainty, along with simple Śiva-smaraṇa (remembrance) before undertaking decisive action.