Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 28
शुक्रनिग्रहः — The Seizure/Neutralization of Śukra (Kāvya) and the Daityas’ Despondency
अथ ते प्रमथा वीरा नंदिप्रभृतयस्तदा । बलेन जघ्नुरसुरान्सर्वान्प्रापुर्जयं मुने
atha te pramathā vīrā naṃdiprabhṛtayastadā | balena jaghnurasurānsarvānprāpurjayaṃ mune
Kemudian para pahlawan Pramatha—dipimpin oleh Nandin—dengan kekuatan semata-mata menewaskan semua asura dan meraih kemenangan, wahai resi.
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra
Role: liberating
FAQs
It highlights the protective power of Śiva’s divine order: when dharma is threatened, Śiva’s attendants (Pramathas) act as instruments of Pati (the Lord) to subdue adharma, affirming that devotion aligned with Śiva’s will culminates in victory over inner and outer negativity.
Nandin and the Pramathas represent Saguna Śiva’s accessible, active presence in the world—guardians of Śiva’s sanctity. Remembering them in Linga-worship reinforces the sense that the Linga is not merely a symbol but the living center of Śiva’s protecting grace (anugraha) amidst conflict.
A practical takeaway is to invoke Śiva’s protection through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and to begin worship facing Nandi with a brief prayer for steadiness and dharma, optionally applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of Śiva’s victorious purity over tamas.