Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 9
तुलसी-शङ्खचूडोपाख्यानम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and the Tulasī Episode
Prelude to Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Fall
अवरुह्य रथाद्विष्णुस्तद्देव्याभवनं ययौ । शंखचूडस्वरूपः स मायावी देवकार्यकृत्
avaruhya rathādviṣṇustaddevyābhavanaṃ yayau | śaṃkhacūḍasvarūpaḥ sa māyāvī devakāryakṛt
Vom Wagen herabgestiegen, begab sich Viṣṇu zur Wohnstatt jener Göttin. In die Gestalt Śaṅkhacūḍas schlüpfend, schritt der Meister der Māyā daran, den Zweck der Götter zu vollbringen.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shakti Form: Durgā
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse highlights how māyā can be employed even by divine beings for cosmic order (dharma). From a Śaiva Siddhānta lens, it underscores discernment: outer forms can mislead, while the higher governance of Pati (Śiva) ultimately directs events toward balance and liberation-oriented order.
It reinforces that devotees should not cling to appearances or shifting narratives; instead, they should anchor devotion in Saguna Śiva—worshipped through the Liṅga as a stable focus—while remembering that all roles and forms in the cosmos operate under Śiva’s supreme lordship.
A practical takeaway is japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with mindful viveka, along with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of impermanence—training the mind to see through māyā and remain steady in Śiva-bhakti.