Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 4
गणेश-वाक्यं तथा गणानां समर-सन्नाहः | Gaṇeśa’s Challenge and the Mustering of the Gaṇas
तथापि पश्यतां देवी पार्वती सूनुजं बलम् । शिवश्च स्वगणानां तु बलं पश्यतु वै पुनः
tathāpi paśyatāṃ devī pārvatī sūnujaṃ balam | śivaśca svagaṇānāṃ tu balaṃ paśyatu vai punaḥ
तथापि देवी पार्वती स्वसूनोर्बलं पश्यतु; शिवोऽपि पुनः स्वगणानां बलं पश्यतु वै।
Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating the Kumārakhaṇḍa account to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse highlights that all powers—whether a divine son’s valor or Śiva’s attendant hosts—operate under Śiva’s sovereign order (Pati). In Shaiva Siddhānta, this reinforces humility: strength is meaningful when aligned with dharma and the Lord’s will.
By presenting Śiva as the conscious Lord who ‘beholds’ and directs the powers of His gaṇas, the passage supports Saguna Śiva worship—Śiva as a personal, guiding reality. Linga worship similarly centers on acknowledging Śiva as the supreme Pati who governs all śaktis.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate disciplined devotion: recite the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while mentally offering one’s strength and achievements to Śiva, remembering that power should serve dharma rather than ego.