Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 57
संध्याचरित्रवर्णनम् (Sandhyā-caritra-varṇanam) — “Narration of Sandhyā’s Austerity and Encounter with Śiva”
तन्मध्ये स ददौ कन्या विधवे सप्तविंशतिः । चन्द्रोऽन्यास्संपरित्यज्य रोहिण्यां प्रीतिमानभूत् । तद्धेतोर्हि यदा चन्द्रश्शप्तो दक्षेण कोपिना । तदा भवत्या निकटे सर्वे देवास्समागताः
tanmadhye sa dadau kanyā vidhave saptaviṃśatiḥ | candro'nyāssaṃparityajya rohiṇyāṃ prītimānabhūt | taddhetorhi yadā candraśśapto dakṣeṇa kopinā | tadā bhavatyā nikaṭe sarve devāssamāgatāḥ
Di antara mereka, beliau mengahwinkan dua puluh tujuh puterinya dengan Dewa Bulan. Namun Dewa Bulan meninggalkan yang lain dan menaruh kasih yang istimewa kepada Rohiṇī. Oleh sebab itu, ketika Bulan dikutuk oleh Dakṣa yang murka, semua para dewa pun berhimpun dekat denganmu, wahai Devī.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Jyotirlinga: Somanātha
Sthala Purana: Moon (Soma) marries 27 daughters (nakṣatra-devīs) but favors Rohiṇī; Dakṣa curses Soma with waning. Devas seek remedy; Soma’s relief becomes linked in later sthala traditions to Soma’s worship of Śiva and restoration—core motif of Somnāth’s fame (Soma-nātha as Lord of Soma).
Significance: Worship of Somanātha is traditionally associated with relief from afflictions, restoration of vitality/mental peace, and purification of lunar/psychic disturbances.
Shakti Form: Satī
Role: nurturing
Cosmic Event: Lunar affliction (waning) initiated by Dakṣa’s śāpa; devas’ assembly to seek remedy
FAQs
The verse highlights how partiality and neglect of dharma create imbalance that ripens into suffering (the Moon’s curse). In Shaiva understanding, such disturbances ultimately drive beings toward the higher refuge of Pati (Lord Shiva), who restores harmony when cosmic order is shaken.
Though Shiva is not directly named here, the episode belongs to the Sati Khanda where devas seek resolution in the orbit of Shiva’s divine presence. It reinforces the Shiva Purana theme that when worldly bonds and karmic consequences intensify, the devas and devotees turn toward Saguna Shiva—worshiped as Linga—for protection and re-establishment of dharma.
A practical takeaway is cultivating impartiality and self-restraint, supported by japa of the Panchakshara mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to steady the mind and avoid attachment-driven imbalance; this aligns with Shiva Purana’s emphasis on devotion (bhakti) as a purifier of conduct.