Shloka 16

दारुवनलीला—नीललोहितपरीक्षा, ब्रह्मोपदेशः, अतिथिधर्मः, संन्यासक्रमः

Devanagari script

काश्चित्तदा तं विपिने तु दृष्ट्वा विप्राङ्गनाः स्रस्तनवांशुकं वा स्वान्स्वान्विचित्रान् वलयान्प्रविध्य मदान्विता बन्धुजनांश् च जग्मुः

Transliteration

kāścittadā taṃ vipine tu dṛṣṭvā viprāṅganāḥ srastanavāṃśukaṃ vā svānsvānvicitrān valayānpravidhya madānvitā bandhujanāṃś ca jagmuḥ

Translation

Da sahen im Wald einige Brahmanenfrauen Ihn—mit einem neuen Gewand, das locker war und zu rutschen schien—und, von Begierde und Verblendung berauscht, warfen sie ihre buntfarbigen Armreifen fort und gingen zu ihren Verwandten.

Word by Word

• kāścit: some (women)

• tadā: then

• tam: Him (Shiva in disguise)

• vipine: in the forest

• tu: indeed

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen

• vipra-aṅganāḥ: wives/women of the Brahmins

• srasta: loosened/slipping

• nava-aṃśukaṃ: fresh/new garment/cloth

• vā: as if/indeed

• svān svān: their own (respectively)

• vicitrān: variegated, many-colored

• valayān: bangles/bracelets

• pravidhya: casting away, throwing aside

• mada-anvitāḥ: filled with intoxication (of passion/pride/delusion)

• bandhu-janān: relatives/kinsmen

• ca: and

• jagmuḥ: they went

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vipra (Brahmins)
• Vipranganas (Brahmin women)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It sets up Shiva’s līlā that humbles mere outer ritualism and exposes bondage (pāśa) through desire and delusion—preparing the mind for true devotion to Pati (Shiva) that Linga worship embodies.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva appears as the hidden Pati who can assume any form to reveal truth: He is not bound by social markers, yet He compassionately orchestrates events to dissolve the pashu’s ego and attachments.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The implied practice is vairāgya and inner purification central to Pāśupata discipline—restraining kāma and recognizing māyā—so worship becomes inward surrender rather than external pride.