Shloka 39
देव-गण-समरः
Devas and Śiva’s Gaṇas Engage in Battle
पलायनपरा भूत्वा जग्मुस्ते च दिशो दश । गतेषु लोकपालेषु विद्रुतेषु सुरेषु च । यज्ञवाटोपकंठं हि वीरभद्रोगमद्गणैः
palāyanaparā bhūtvā jagmuste ca diśo daśa | gateṣu lokapāleṣu vidruteṣu sureṣu ca | yajñavāṭopakaṃṭhaṃ hi vīrabhadrogamadgaṇaiḥ
Dikuasai dorongan untuk melarikan diri, mereka berpecah dan lari ke sepuluh penjuru. Setelah para penjaga alam telah pergi dan para dewa pun melarikan diri dalam panik, Vīrabhadra, bersama gaṇanya, mara hingga ke kawasan gelanggang korban suci itu.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra
Role: destructive
FAQs
It shows that when worship becomes ego-driven and hostile to Śiva-bhakti, even cosmic powers (lokapālas and devas) lose steadiness; Śiva’s dharmic force—here through Vīrabhadra—restores moral order, emphasizing devotion and humility over pride in ritual.
Vīrabhadra and the gaṇas embody Saguna Śiva’s active grace and protection: the Lord is not only the transcendent Pati but also the personal protector of true worship, correcting sacrificial formalism that ignores Śiva as the inner Lord of all yajñas.
The takeaway is to anchor ritual in Śiva-bhakti—daily remembrance of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with purity and humility; external rites should be supported by inner surrender, like wearing bhasma/tripuṇḍra and japa as devotion rather than display.