Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 51
ततो हरिस्तामनुसंस्मन्मुहुर्वृन्दाचिताभस्मरजोवगुंठितः । तत्रैव तस्थौ सुरसिद्धसंघकैः प्रबोध्यमानोपि ययौ न शांतिम्
tato haristāmanusaṃsmanmuhurvṛndācitābhasmarajovaguṃṭhitaḥ | tatraiva tasthau surasiddhasaṃghakaiḥ prabodhyamānopi yayau na śāṃtim
Pagkaraan, si Hari, paulit-ulit na inaalala si Vṛndā, ay nanatiling nababalutan ng alikabok at abo mula sa punerarya niyang siga. Doon din siya tumigil; bagaman ginising at inaliw ng mga pangkat ng deva at siddha, hindi pa rin niya natamo ang kapayapaan.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; it depicts Viṣṇu (Hari) in grief and unrest—an affective illustration of tirodhāna (veiling) where even a great deity-figure experiences agitation until higher resolution occurs.
Significance: Teaches vairāgya and the limits of mere consolations; points to the need for ultimate pacification through the Supreme (Śiva) beyond psychological reassurance.
FAQs
The verse highlights how even a great deity like Hari can be overwhelmed by grief and remembrance; true śānti is not produced by external consolation but arises when the mind turns from attachment toward the Supreme (Pati), the source of liberation.
By showing the limits of emotional reassurance and worldly bonds, the narrative implicitly points toward refuge in Saguna Shiva—worship of Shiva (often through the Liṅga) as the stabilizing center that grants inner peace when the mind is shaken by loss.
The imagery of ash (bhasma) evokes Shaiva practice: wearing bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) as a reminder of impermanence, alongside japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” to transform grief into detachment and devotion.