Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 14
तुलसी-शङ्खचूडोपाख्यानम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and the Tulasī Episode
Prelude to Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Fall
तुलस्युवाच । असंख्यविश्वसंहर्ता स देवप्रवरः प्रभुः । यस्याज्ञावर्त्तिनो देवा विष्णुब्रह्मादयस्सदा
tulasyuvāca | asaṃkhyaviśvasaṃhartā sa devapravaraḥ prabhuḥ | yasyājñāvarttino devā viṣṇubrahmādayassadā
तुळशी म्हणाली—तो प्रभु देवांमध्ये श्रेष्ठ, असंख्य विश्वांचा संहारकर्ता आहे; ज्याच्या आज्ञेत विष्णु, ब्रह्मा इत्यादी देव सदैव वर्ततात।
Tulasi
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Mantra: asaṃkhyaviśvasaṃhartā sa devapravaraḥ prabhuḥ | yasyājñāvarttino devā viṣṇubrahmādayassadā
Type: stotra
Cosmic Event: withdrawal of innumerable universes (cosmic dissolution motif)
FAQs
It affirms Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord who governs even Brahma and Vishnu—highlighting that cosmic functions (creation, preservation, dissolution) proceed under His sovereign will; recognizing this nurtures surrender (śaraṇāgati) and steadies the seeker toward moksha.
By declaring Shiva the supreme commander of the devas, the verse supports Saguna worship—approaching Shiva in a worshipable form such as the Linga—as the accessible embodiment of His supreme authority and grace within the cosmos.
A practical takeaway is daily Shiva-bhakti through Panchakshara japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with an attitude of obedience to divine order, optionally accompanied by Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrāksha as reminders of Shiva’s lordship and protection.