Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 42
शिवतत्त्वे परापरभावविचारः
Inquiry into Śiva’s Principle and the Parā–Aparā Paradox
स्वयन्देवश्च देवी च न तृप्तिमुपजग्मतुः । ततः शक्रेण संधाय बिभ्यता तारकासुरात्
svayandevaśca devī ca na tṛptimupajagmatuḥ | tataḥ śakreṇa saṃdhāya bibhyatā tārakāsurāt
Pourtant, le Seigneur né de lui-même et la Déesse ne trouvèrent pas satisfaction. Alors Indra (Śakra), craignant l’asura Tāraka, conclut une alliance et scella un pacte.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: The verse situates the deva-crisis (fear of Tāraka) that necessitates Śiva’s salvific intervention through Skanda—an archetypal purāṇic pattern behind many sthala-purāṇas: cosmic imbalance prompts divine manifestation.
Significance: Highlights the existential insecurity of even devas under pāśa (bondage of fear/karma), motivating refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Śiva’s grace.
FAQs
It highlights that even exalted cosmic authorities (like the self-born Brahmā and the Devī) may remain unsatisfied when the world is bound by fear and disorder; true resolution ultimately lies in aligning with dharma and seeking the supreme Lord (Pati) rather than relying only on worldly arrangements.
The devas’ fear and political alliance indicate the limits of mere power and strategy; in the Shiva Purana narrative arc, such crises are ultimately resolved through turning toward Lord Shiva’s saguna grace—often approached through Linga worship, prayer, and disciplined devotion.
The practical takeaway is śaraṇāgati (surrender) supported by japa—especially the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and steady daily Shiva-pūjā as a remedy for fear and instability.