Acharya Prashant explains that the depiction of deities with weapons is incomplete without understanding the accompanying symbols of compassion and sacrifice. Using Shri Shiva as an example, he notes that while one hand may hold a trident, the other is often in a blessing posture, and his head bears the moon and the holy Ganga. He emphasizes that the right to bear a weapon comes only after one has the capacity to consume the 'poison' of worldly suffering, as Shri Shiva did. Fear is described as the very last resort in establishing righteousness, to be used only when all other methods fail and only by one who is themselves free from fear.
