Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 22
शङ्खचूडकस्य राज्याभिषेकः तथा शक्रपुरीं प्रति प्रस्थानम् | Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Coronation and March toward Indra’s City
देवानामसुराणां च दानवानां च रक्षसाम् । गंधर्वाणां च नागानां किन्नराणां रसौकसाम्
devānāmasurāṇāṃ ca dānavānāṃ ca rakṣasām | gaṃdharvāṇāṃ ca nāgānāṃ kinnarāṇāṃ rasaukasām
தேவர்கள், அசுரர்கள், தானவர்கள், ராட்சசர்கள்; கந்தர்வர்கள், நாகர்கள், மேலும் விண்ணுலகில் வாழும் கின்னரர்கள்—அனைவரும் அந்த மகாபோரில் கூடியிருந்தனர்।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
The verse lists many orders of beings to show the universality of the event: all realms and species fall under one cosmic order governed by Pati (Lord Shiva). In Shaiva Siddhanta, this supports the insight that all jīvas—divine or demonic—are bound by pāśa (bondage) and ultimately depend on Shiva’s grace for right orientation and liberation.
By portraying every class of being as present in the cosmic drama, the text implicitly points to Shiva as the all-inclusive Lord. Linga worship focuses the mind on that one Saguna symbol through which the Nirguna reality is approached—uniting the worshipper beyond divisions like deva/asura and establishing refuge in Shiva alone.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate equal vision (samatā) while taking refuge in Shiva through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), along with simple Shaiva observances such as applying tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and maintaining steadiness of mind amid conflict and agitation.