Shloka 38
सामान्यतो नरकगतिवर्णनम्
General Description of the Course of Hell / Naraka-gati
पृष्ठे चानीय तुण्डाभ्यां विन्यस्त स्कंधयोजिते । तयोर्मध्येन वाकृष्य बाहुपृष्ठेन गाढतः
pṛṣṭhe cānīya tuṇḍābhyāṃ vinyasta skaṃdhayojite | tayormadhyena vākṛṣya bāhupṛṣṭhena gāḍhataḥ
Dengan dua gadingnya ia mengangkatnya ke punggung, menempatkannya kokoh di atas bahu yang rapat. Lalu ia menariknya ke tengah dan menahannya erat, menekan kuat dengan punggung lengannya.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
The verse depicts forceful restraint and firm holding, which—read through a Shaiva Siddhanta lens—can symbolize how the bound soul (paśu) is powerfully checked by circumstance (pāśa) until it turns toward the Lord (Pati) for true liberation.
Though the verse is narrative and physical in imagery, it supports Saguna devotion by showing Shiva Purana’s concrete, story-based teaching style: embodied events become mirrors for inner discipline, culminating in turning the mind toward Shiva as the accessible, worshipful Lord (Saguna) who grants grace.
A practical takeaway is dhāraṇā (steady holding): restrain distraction and keep the mind held to Shiva through japa of the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—supported by simple Shaiva observances like vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and Rudrāksha as reminders of steadfastness.