Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 7
अनिरुद्धापहरणानन्तरं कृष्णस्य शोणितपुरगमनम् तथा रुद्रकृष्णयुद्धारम्भः | After Aniruddha’s Abduction: Kṛṣṇa Marches to Śoṇitapura and the Rudra–Kṛṣṇa Battle Begins
अक्षौहिणीभिर्द्वादशभिस्समेतासर्वतो दिशम् । रुरुधुर्बाणनगरं समंतात्सात्वतर्षभाः
akṣauhiṇībhirdvādaśabhissametāsarvato diśam | rurudhurbāṇanagaraṃ samaṃtātsātvatarṣabhāḥ
Les plus éminents héros parmi les Sātvatas, rassemblés avec douze armées d’akṣauhiṇī, encerclèrent de toutes parts la cité de Bāṇa, la bloquant de chaque direction.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
It highlights the overwhelming force of worldly power—twelve akṣauhiṇīs—yet, within the Shiva Purana’s Shaiva lens, such might remains bound to karma and conflict. The verse sets the stage for recognizing that victory and protection ultimately depend on divine will (Pati) rather than mere military strength (pāśa-bound effort).
Though the verse is martial, the Yuddhakhaṇḍa context frames battles as movements within Shiva’s saguna governance of the world—where dharma, adharma, and the fruits of action unfold under Rudra’s sovereignty. The devotee is reminded to take refuge in Shiva (often symbolized by the Liṅga) as the steady center beyond the turbulence of events.
A practical takeaway is to stabilize the mind amid ‘siege-like’ pressures through japa of the Pañcākṣarī—"Om Namaḥ Śivāya"—and, if following Shiva Purana ritual ethos, to support it with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as aids for remembrance and inner composure.