Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
समाहिताः पूजयध्वं सपुत्राः सह बन्धुभिः / सर्वे प्राञ्जलयो भूत्वा शूलपाणिं प्रपद्यथ
samāhitāḥ pūjayadhvaṃ saputrāḥ saha bandhubhiḥ / sarve prāñjalayo bhūtvā śūlapāṇiṃ prapadyatha
دل کو یکسو کرکے، بیٹوں اور رشتہ داروں سمیت شُولپانی پروردگار کی عبادت کرو۔ تم سب ہاتھ باندھ کر اسی کی پناہ اختیار کرو۔
Narratorial instruction within the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga discourse (an exhortation directing devotees toward Śiva as refuge)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
It frames liberation-oriented religion through śaraṇāgati—taking refuge in the supreme Lord (here Śūlapāṇi)—implying that steadied mind (samāhita) and surrender to the divine ground one’s approach to the highest reality.
The verse emphasizes samādhāna (mental collectedness) as a practical prerequisite—approaching worship with a composed mind and reverent posture (prāñjali), aligning devotion with yogic discipline rather than mere ritual.
By placing refuge in Śiva (Śūlapāṇi) as a central salvific act within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa context, it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: devotion to Śiva is upheld as fully compatible with the Purāṇic vision of one supreme divinity expressed through multiple forms.