Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 6
दिव्यरथारोहणम् — Śiva’s Ascent on the Divine Chariot
Pre-battle Portents
तस्मिन्नारोऽहतिरथं कल्पितं लोकसंभृतम् । शिरोभिः पतिता भूमौ तुरगा वेदसंभवाः
tasminnāro'hatirathaṃ kalpitaṃ lokasaṃbhṛtam | śirobhiḥ patitā bhūmau turagā vedasaṃbhavāḥ
Di sana, kereta perang itu—yang dibentuk oleh Nārā dan Ahaṭi serta dihimpun daripada sumber-sumber segala alam—telah dipukul hingga rebah. Kuda-kuda yang lahir daripada Veda pun jatuh ke bumi, kepala mereka tertunduk.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Kālāntaka
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; the collapse of the divinely fashioned chariot and Veda-born horses dramatizes the fragility of created supports when confronted with cosmic dissolution (saṃhāra).
Significance: Contemplation on impermanence: even ‘Veda-born’ powers and celestial vehicles fail; urges reliance on Pati rather than on contingent instruments (pāśa-bound supports).
Role: destructive
Cosmic Event: Battle-field microcosm of saṃhāra: constructed forms (ratha, aśva) collapse, echoing pralaya symbolism.
FAQs
It highlights the Shaiva view that all created powers—even those described as Veda-born and world-supported—remain contingent and can be brought down; only Pati (Śiva), the supreme Lord, is ultimately independent.
The verse contrasts external supports (chariots, armies, divine instruments) with the need for refuge in Saguna Śiva as the accessible Lord; Linga-worship centers the devotee in the unshakable divine presence beyond worldly constructions.
A practical takeaway is steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with Tripuṇḍra and Rudrākṣa, cultivating inner refuge in Śiva rather than reliance on external strength.