Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 46
राहोः शिरच्छेदन-कारणकथनम् / The Account of Rāhu’s Beheading
Cause and Background
पतितैः पात्यमानैश्च गजाश्वरथपत्तिभिः । व्यराजत रणे भूमिस्संध्याभ्रपटलैरिव
patitaiḥ pātyamānaiśca gajāśvarathapattibhiḥ | vyarājata raṇe bhūmissaṃdhyābhrapaṭalairiva
पतितैः पात्यमानैश्च गजाश्वरथपत्तिभिः । व्यराजत रणे भूमिः सन्ध्याभ्रपटलैरिव ॥
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Rudra
FAQs
The verse uses vivid battlefield imagery to highlight anitya (impermanence): bodies and armies rise and fall, while the deeper Shaiva insight points the seeker toward Pati (Śiva) as the steady refuge beyond changing conditions.
Though not directly mentioning the Liṅga, the contrast between fleeting worldly spectacle and enduring truth supports Saguna Śiva-bhakti: worship of Śiva (often through the Liṅga) anchors the mind in the eternal Pati amid turmoil.
A practical takeaway is smaraṇa of the Pañcākṣarī—"Om Namaḥ Śivāya"—to steady the mind when confronted with fear, violence, or loss, cultivating vairāgya and devotion.