Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 26
भद्रस्य दिव्यरथारोहणं शङ्खनादश्च — Bhadra’s Divine Chariot-Ascent and the Conch-Blast
ततस्त्वनलतुंडेन शरेणादित्यवर्चसा । विव्याध सुदृढं भद्रो विष्णोर्महति वक्षसि
tatastvanalatuṃḍena śareṇādityavarcasā | vivyādha sudṛḍhaṃ bhadro viṣṇormahati vakṣasi
അതിനുശേഷം ഭദ്രൻ അഗ്നിമുഖമുള്ളതും സൂര്യതേജസ്സാൽ ദീപ്തമായതുമായ അമ്പുകൊണ്ട് വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ വിശാലമായ വക്ഷസ്ഥലത്തിൽ ദൃഢമായി കുത്തിവെച്ചു.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra
FAQs
The verse uses a dramatic martial image to convey that even the highest cosmic powers are subject to a higher order; in Shaiva Siddhanta, this points to Pati (the Supreme Lord) as the ultimate governor, and to the soul’s need to surrender ego and attachment (pāśa) when confronted by divine truth.
Such battle episodes highlight Saguna divine action—God’s manifest power operating within time and form—while the Linga tradition emphasizes that the same Lord transcends form as the formless ground; worship integrates both: reverence for the transcendent (Linga) and trust in the Lord’s manifest governance.
A practical takeaway is steadfast japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to cultivate inner firmness (sudṛḍhatā) and fearlessness, supported by simple Shaiva disciplines like wearing rudrākṣa and applying tripuṇḍra as reminders of surrender and purification.