Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 5
तुलसी-शङ्खचूडोपाख्यानम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and the Tulasī Episode
Prelude to Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Fall
विप्ररूपेण त्वरितं मायया निजया हरिः । जगाम शंखचूडस्य रूपेण तुलसीगृहम्
viprarūpeṇa tvaritaṃ māyayā nijayā hariḥ | jagāma śaṃkhacūḍasya rūpeṇa tulasīgṛham
Hari nahm, rasch seine eigene Māyā wirkend, die Gestalt eines Brāhmaṇa an und begab sich zum Haus der Tulasī, indem er die genaue Erscheinung Śaṅkhacūḍas annahm.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shakti Form: Tārā
Role: teaching
FAQs
It highlights how māyā operates even at cosmic levels: the gods employ divine strategy to uphold dharma, showing that worldly identities and appearances are mutable and subordinate to the higher divine order governed ultimately by Śiva’s overarching purpose in the narrative.
The episode underscores that forms (rūpa) can be assumed and withdrawn through māyā, whereas devotion to Saguna Śiva—especially through the Liṅga—anchors the mind in a stable, sanctifying focus beyond deception and shifting appearances.
A practical takeaway is vigilance against māyā through steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and grounding daily worship with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of impermanence and discernment.