Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 39
हिरण्यकशिपोः क्रोधः तथा देवप्रजाकदनम् — Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Wrath and the Affliction of Devas and Beings
नखास्त्रहृत्पद्ममसृग्विमिश्रमुत्पाद्य जीवाद्विगतः क्षणेन । त्यक्तस्तदानीं स तु काष्ठभूतः पुनः पुनश्चूर्णितसर्वगात्रः
nakhāstrahṛtpadmamasṛgvimiśramutpādya jīvādvigataḥ kṣaṇena | tyaktastadānīṃ sa tu kāṣṭhabhūtaḥ punaḥ punaścūrṇitasarvagātraḥ
爪の武器が彼の心の蓮を裂き、骨髄の混じった血が噴き出したとき、彼の命は一瞬にして消え去った。その場に投げ捨てられた彼は、まるで一本の木片のようになり、全身が何度も何度も粉々に砕かれた。
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Kālāntaka
Shakti Form: Kālī
Role: destructive
FAQs
The verse portrays the utter fragility of embodied life and the inevitability of dissolution when divine justice operates; in Shaiva Siddhānta terms, it underscores the perishability of the body (pāśa-bound condition) and the need to seek refuge in Pati (Śiva), the liberating Lord beyond death.
It reflects Saguna Śiva’s role as the protector and regulator of dharma—fierce when subduing adharma. Linga-worship centers the devotee on the imperishable reality of Śiva, contrasting with the verse’s vivid reminder that all physical forms are transient.
A practical takeaway is daily remembrance of impermanence while stabilizing devotion through Panchākṣarī japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a contemplative sign that the body ends in ash, while Śiva alone grants lasting auspiciousness.