Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 56
गणेश-वाक्यं तथा गणानां समर-सन्नाहः | Gaṇeśa’s Challenge and the Mustering of the Gaṇas
तास्ते दृष्ट्वा रणं तं वै महाविस्मयमागताः । ईदृशं परमं युद्धं न दृष्टं चैकदापि हि
tāste dṛṣṭvā raṇaṃ taṃ vai mahāvismayamāgatāḥ | īdṛśaṃ paramaṃ yuddhaṃ na dṛṣṭaṃ caikadāpi hi
Ao verem aquela batalha, foram tomados por imenso assombro; pois jamais, nem uma única vez, haviam contemplado um combate tão supremo e extraordinário.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra
Cosmic Event: unprecedented divine combat perceived as beyond ordinary cosmic order
FAQs
The verse highlights how divine līlā can overwhelm ordinary perception; awe becomes a doorway to humility and devotion, turning the mind from worldly certainty toward the Lord’s transcendent power (Pati) that governs all events.
The “supreme battle” underscores Saguna Shiva’s manifest play in the cosmos; for devotees, such narratives mature faith that ultimately culminates in steadiness of worship—often centered on the Shiva-Linga as the accessible, sacred focus of that same supreme reality.
A practical takeaway is śravaṇa (devotional listening) with japa of the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” stabilizing the mind so awe transforms into bhakti rather than agitation.