तदुग्रवेगं दिशि दिश्युपर्यधो विसर्पदुत्सर्पदसह्यमप्रति ।
भीताः प्रजा दुद्रुवुरङ्ग सेश्वरा अरक्ष्यमाणाः शरणं सदाशिवम् ॥ १९ ॥
tad ugra-vegam disi disy upary adho
visarpad utsarpad asahyam aprati
bhitah praja dudruvur aṅga sesvara
araksyamanah saranam sadasivam
tat-that; ugra-vegam-very fierce and potent poison; disi disi-in all directions; upari-upward; adhah-downward; visarpat-curling; utsarpat-going upward; asahyam-unbearable; aprati-uncontrollable; bhitah-being very much afraid; prajah-the residents of all the worlds; dudruvuh-moved here and there; aṅga-O Maharaja Pariksit; sa-isvarah-with the Supreme Lord; araksyamanah-not being protected; saranam-shelter; sadasivam-unto the lotus feet of Lord Siva.
O King, when that uncontrollable poison was forcefully spreading up and down in all directions, all the demigods, along with the Lord Himself, approached Lord Siva [Sadasiva]. Feeling unsheltered and very much afraid, they sought shelter of him.
One may question that since the Supreme Personality of Godhead was personally present, why did He accompany all the demigods and people in general to take shelter of Lord Sadasiva, instead of intervening Himself. In this connection Srila Madhvacarya warns:
rudrasya yasaso 'rthaya
svayam visnur visam vibhuh
na sanjahre samartho 'pi
vayum coce prasantaye
Lord Visnu was competent to rectify the situation, but in order to give credit to Lord Siva, who later drank all the poison and kept it in his neck, Lord Visnu did not take action.