Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 28
जलंधरयुद्धे मायाप्रयोगः — Jalandhara’s Māyā in the Battle with Śiva
महारुद्र उवाच । पादेन निर्मितं चक्रं जलंधर महाम्भसि । बलवान्यदि चोद्धर्त्तुं तिष्ठ योद्धुं न चान्यथा
mahārudra uvāca | pādena nirmitaṃ cakraṃ jalaṃdhara mahāmbhasi | balavānyadi coddharttuṃ tiṣṭha yoddhuṃ na cānyathā
மகாருத்ரன் உரைத்தான்—ஓ ஜலந்தரா, இம்மாபெரும் நீர்நடுவே நான் என் பாதத்தால் இந்தச் சக்கரத்தை உருவாக்கினேன். நீ உண்மையில் இதைத் தூக்க வல்லவன் என்றால் நின்று போரிடு; வேறு வழியில்லை।
Mahārudra (Lord Shiva)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse dramatizes the Shaiva Siddhanta principle that Pati (Shiva) alone is truly sovereign: even in the cosmic ocean he effortlessly manifests power, while the asuric ego (Jalandhara) is challenged to prove its claim to strength—signaling that pride must be confronted and dissolved.
This is a Saguna-Shiva moment: the Lord reveals his accessible, action-oriented form (Mahārudra) within history and battle. Such narratives train devotion to Shiva’s manifest grace and authority, which Linga-worship ritually affirms as the ever-present Lord who protects dharma and subdues arrogance.
A practical takeaway is cultivating steadfastness (tiṣṭha) in sādhanā: stand firm in japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined worship, using humility to “lift” inner burdens—rather than fighting from ego or mere force.