Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 26
रुद्ररथ-निर्माणवर्णनम् / Description of Rudra’s Divine Chariot Construction
घंटा सरस्वती देवी धनुषः श्रुतिरूपिणी । इषुर्विष्णुर्महातेजास्त्वग्निश्शल्यं प्रकीर्तितम्
ghaṃṭā sarasvatī devī dhanuṣaḥ śrutirūpiṇī | iṣurviṣṇurmahātejāstvagniśśalyaṃ prakīrtitam
La cloche est la déesse Sarasvatī ; l’arc est le Veda lui-même sous la forme de la Śruti, la révélation entendue. La flèche est le puissant Viṣṇu, et Agni est proclamé comme la pointe de fer acérée (śalya) de cette flèche.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Sarasvatī
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: Deities as functional powers: śruti as bow, Viṣṇu as arrow, Agni as piercing tip
FAQs
It teaches that divine power in sacred history is rooted in spiritual principles: Sarasvatī (wisdom), Śruti (Vedic revelation), Viṣṇu (preserving cosmic force), and Agni (transforming fire) together become instruments of dharma—implying that victory in Shiva’s cosmic order is ultimately upheld by knowledge, revelation, preservation, and purification.
In Shaiva Siddhānta, Saguna Shiva is worshipped through revealed scripture and disciplined ritual. By identifying Śruti as the ‘bow’ and Agni as the ‘tip,’ the verse highlights that Vedic authority and fire-ritual (homa) support right worship—complementing Linga-pūjā where mantra, purity, and scriptural injunctions guide devotion toward Shiva’s grace.
A practical takeaway is scripturally guided worship: recite Shiva mantras (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with purity, and honor Agni through lamp offering (dīpa) or homa where appropriate—treating knowledge (Sarasvatī/Śruti) as the foundation of effective sādhanā.