Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 28
शिवस्तुतिवर्णनम् (Śiva-stuti-varṇanam) — “Description of Hymns in Praise of Śiva”
संत्यक्तसर्वधर्मांश्च बोद्धागमसमाश्रिताः । अस्मद्भाग्यवशाज्जाता दैत्यास्ते भक्तवत्सल
saṃtyaktasarvadharmāṃśca boddhāgamasamāśritāḥ | asmadbhāgyavaśājjātā daityāste bhaktavatsala
“Setelah meninggalkan segala kewajipan (Veda) dan berlindung pada ajaran-ajaran Buddhis, para Daitya itu lahir kerana daya nasib malang kami sendiri—wahai Engkau yang sentiasa mengasihi para bhakta.”
A Deva (god) addressing Lord Shiva during the Yuddhakhaṇḍa narration (as relayed by Sūta Gosvāmin)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Not tied to a jyotirliṅga; it is a polemical-narrative explanation: daityas abandon Vedic dharma and take refuge in ‘boddhāgama’, presented as a misfortune and as part of the concealment dynamic preceding Śiva’s intervention.
Significance: Positions Śiva as bhakta-vatsala who rescues devotees from doctrinal confusion; pilgrimage is framed as returning to Śiva-dharma and seeking anugraha to overcome pāśa (delusive systems).
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse frames spiritual decline as abandoning dharma and losing right orientation, while simultaneously highlighting Shiva’s defining grace as bhakta-vatsala—one who responds to sincere refuge and protects devotees amid cosmic disorder.
By addressing Shiva as bhakta-vatsala, it emphasizes Saguna Shiva’s accessible, compassionate aspect—approached through devotion and refuge. In Shiva Purana practice, this devotion is commonly expressed through Linga-worship, where the devotee seeks Shiva’s protection and restoration of dharma.
The takeaway is śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) through bhakti—practically expressed as daily Linga-pūjā with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma), Rudrākṣa-dhāraṇa, and japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” seeking Shiva’s grace as protector of devotees.