Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 15
तारकवाक्य-शक्रविष्णुवीरभद्रयुद्धवर्णनम् — Account of Tāraka’s declarations and the battle involving Śakra (Indra), Viṣṇu, and Vīrabhadra
इत्येवमुक्त्वा स तदा महाबलः कुमारमुद्दिश्य ययौ च योद्धुम् । जग्राह शक्तिं परमाद्भुतां च स तारको देववरान्बभाषे
ityevamuktvā sa tadā mahābalaḥ kumāramuddiśya yayau ca yoddhum | jagrāha śaktiṃ paramādbhutāṃ ca sa tārako devavarānbabhāṣe
ครั้นกล่าวดังนี้แล้ว ตารกะผู้มีกำลังยิ่งก็เพ่งหมายไปที่กุมาร (สกันทะ) แล้วรุดหน้าเพื่อรบ เขาคว้าศักติ—หอกอัศจรรย์ยิ่ง—แล้วจึงกล่าวแก่เหล่าเทพผู้ประเสริฐ
Suta Goswami (narrating the battle narrative to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra
Role: destructive
FAQs
It depicts the outward force of adharma—pride and aggression—rising against the divinely empowered Kumāra. In Shaiva understanding, such conflict symbolizes the soul’s struggle where grace-backed discernment and divine agency ultimately subdue egoic power.
Kumāra is a śakti of Shiva’s purposeful manifestation (saguṇa līlā) protecting cosmic order. The verse supports saguṇa-upāsanā: devotion to Shiva’s manifest forms that actively remove obstacles and restore dharma.
A practical takeaway is to steady the mind before confrontation by japa of the Panchākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and to invoke Shiva’s protective presence through simple saguṇa-bhakti (prayer to Shiva/Skanda) for courage and clarity.