Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 18
तुलसी-शङ्खचूडोपाख्यानम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and the Tulasī Episode
Prelude to Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Fall
कर्तुं सार्द्धं च तेनैव समरं त्वं गतः प्रभो । कथं बभूव संग्रामस्तेन देवसहायिना
kartuṃ sārddhaṃ ca tenaiva samaraṃ tvaṃ gataḥ prabho | kathaṃ babhūva saṃgrāmastena devasahāyinā
Ó Senhor, tu partiste para travar batalha juntamente com ele. Como, então, se desenrolou a guerra, tendo ele os deuses como aliados e auxílio?
A sage (addressing Sūta Gosvāmin in the Naimiṣāraṇya dialogue frame)
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
The verse frames battle as a question of divine order: even when devas appear as allies, outcomes unfold under the higher governance of Pati (Śiva). For the devotee, it teaches humility—victory and defeat are not merely political but part of dharma’s unfolding.
By addressing the Lord directly and asking how the conflict occurred, the verse reflects Saguna devotion—approaching Śiva as the personal, responsive Lord who guides events. In Linga-worship, this becomes an attitude of surrender: one seeks the Lord’s meaning behind outer struggle.
A practical takeaway is smaraṇa (remembrance) with japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—especially during adversity, coupled with simple Śiva-pūjā (water offering to the Liṅga) to cultivate steadiness beyond the turmoil of conflict.