Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 18

अध्याय ५५ — बाणस्य पुनर्युद्धप्रवृत्तिः

Bāṇa’s Renewed Engagement in Battle

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्नवसरे तत्र क्रोधं कृत्वाऽतिपक्षिराट् । बाणासुरबलं सर्वं पक्षाघातैरमर्दयत्

Transliteration

tasminnavasare tatra krodhaṃ kṛtvā'tipakṣirāṭ | bāṇāsurabalaṃ sarvaṃ pakṣāghātairamardayat

Translation

À cet instant même, le puissant roi des oiseaux, soulevé par la colère, écrasa sur place toute l’armée de Bāṇāsura sous les coups de ses ailes.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अवसरे: at the occasion/time
• अवसरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• क्रोधम्: anger
• क्रोधम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made/assuming
• कृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• अति-पक्षिराट्: the great king of birds (Garuda)
• अति-पक्षिराट्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + पक्षिराज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (अति + पक्षिराट् = अतिशयेन पक्षिराट्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बाणासुर-बलम्: the army of Bāṇāsura
• बाणासुर-बलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाणासुर (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: बाणासुरस्य बलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पक्ष-आघातैः: by blows of (his) wings
• पक्ष-आघातैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + आघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पक्षाणाम् आघातैः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अमर्दयत्: crushed, tormented
• अमर्दयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: ‘caused to be crushed/tormented’)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Rudra

Characters & Entities

• Bāṇāsura
• Atipakṣirāṭ (king of birds)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

The verse depicts adharma being forcibly subdued: when power is aligned to the divine order under Śiva’s sovereignty, hostile forces (symbolizing pasha—bondage and arrogance) are crushed, showing that Śiva’s dharma ultimately prevails.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Though the verse is martial, it supports Saguna Śiva-bhakti: devotees understand Śiva as the Lord who governs the cosmos and protects dharma through manifest agencies; worship of the Liṅga anchors the mind in that protective, ordering presence of Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to steady the mind with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) when anger or conflict arises, transforming krodha into disciplined resolve; applying bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and wearing rudrākṣa may be undertaken as Shaiva reminders of restraint and devotion.