Shloka 57
Kṛṣṇādi-Śivabhaktoddhāraṇa & Śiva-māhātmya-varṇana
Deliverance of Krishna and other devotees; Description of Shiva’s Greatness
तीक्ष्णं स परशुं लेभे निर्ददाह च तेन तान् । त्रिस्सप्तकृत्वः क्षत्रांश्च प्रसन्नात्परमेश्वरात्
tīkṣṇaṃ sa paraśuṃ lebhe nirdadāha ca tena tān | trissaptakṛtvaḥ kṣatrāṃśca prasannātparameśvarāt
ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಪರಮೇಶ್ವರನ ಕೃಪೆಯಿಂದ ಅವನು ಅತಿತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣ ಪರಶುವನ್ನು ಪಡೆದನು; ಆ ಪರಶುವಿನಿಂದ ಆ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯರನ್ನು ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತೊಂದು ಬಾರಿ ಸಂಹರಿಸಿದನು।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Kālāntaka
Sthala Purana: Śiva’s prasāda grants Paraśurāma the paraśu; the ensuing repeated destruction of oppressive kṣatriya power is framed as divinely sanctioned saṃhāra restoring dharmic balance.
Significance: Highlights the doctrine that even fierce acts, when aligned to divine ordinance and dharma, are instruments of Śiva’s cosmic function rather than personal vengeance.
Role: destructive
FAQs
The verse emphasizes Śiva’s prasāda (grace): when Parameśvara is pleased, He empowers the devotee with the needed instrument and strength to remove adharma, showing that righteous action is ultimately sustained by the Lord’s will.
By calling Śiva “Parameśvara” who becomes “prasanna,” the verse highlights Saguna Śiva—accessible through devotion and worship (including Liṅga-upāsanā)—as the personal Lord who grants boons and directs power toward restoring dharma.
The takeaway is devotion seeking Śiva’s prasāda: regular japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and disciplined worship can be oriented toward inner purification—destroying one’s ‘kṣatriya-like’ pride and aggression—under Śiva’s guidance.