Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 4
तुलसी-शङ्खचूडोपाख्यानम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and the Tulasī Episode
Prelude to Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Fall
रणमध्ये व्योमवचः श्रुत्वा देवेन शंभुना । प्रेरितश्शंखचूडस्य गृहीत्वा कवचं परम्
raṇamadhye vyomavacaḥ śrutvā devena śaṃbhunā | preritaśśaṃkhacūḍasya gṛhītvā kavacaṃ param
Di tengah medan perang, setelah mendengar suara dari langit, Śambhu—Tuhan Yang Maha Mulia—mendorong Śaṅkhacūḍa; dan Śaṅkhacūḍa, terdorong demikian, pun menyarungkan zirah yang paling utama.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra
Significance: Battlefield ‘heavenly voice’ and Śiva’s prompting dramatize divine governance: tirodhāna operates by directing beings through delusion/empowerment toward destined karmic outcomes, culminating later in anugraha for devotees.
FAQs
The verse highlights Pati (Śiva) as the supreme governor who can direct the course of events; even amid conflict, outcomes unfold under divine ordinance, reminding the seeker to surrender ego-driven agency and align with dharma.
Śambhu’s active guidance here reflects Saguna Śiva—accessible and responsive in the world—whom devotees worship through the Liṅga as the compassionate Lord who protects, commands, and restores cosmic order.
A practical takeaway is śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) through japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and inner recollection of Śambhu as the true protector (kavaca) against fear and agitation.