Shloka 206
ललाटप्रभवेणाक्ष्णा रोहिणीं प्रदहन्निव । एक दिन भगवान् शंकर पृथ्वीपर खड़े थे। उसी समय सुरभिके एक बछड़ेके मुँहसे फेन निकलकर उनके मस्तकपर गिर पड़ा। इससे वे कुपित हो उठे और अपने ललाटजनित नेत्रसे, मानो रोहिणीको भस्म कर डालेंगे, इस तरह उसकी ओर देखने लगे
lalāṭaprabhaveṇākṣṇā rohiṇīṃ pradahann iva | ekaṃ dinaṃ bhagavān śaṅkaraḥ pṛthivyāṃ khagaḍe tiṣṭhan āsīt | tasminn eva kāle surabheḥ ekasya vatsasya mukhāt phenaḥ niṣkramya tasya mastake papāta | tena sa kupito ’bhavat, sva-lalāṭa-janitena netreṇa rohiṇīṃ pradahann iva tām avalokitum ārabdhaḥ |
Bhīṣma said: “With the eye that arises from his forehead, as though he would burn Rohiṇī to ashes, the Blessed Lord Śaṅkara once stood upon the earth. At that very time, foam issued from the mouth of Surabhi’s calf and fell upon his head. Enraged by this, he fixed his gaze upon her with his forehead-born eye, as if to consume her in fire.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The episode functions as a cautionary exemplum about the destructive potential of anger and the ethical necessity of restraint, especially when one possesses great power; even a seemingly small provocation can lead to disproportionate harm if not governed by dharma.
Śiva is standing on earth when foam from Surabhi’s calf falls on his head; he becomes angry and looks toward Rohiṇī with his forehead-born eye as if he would burn her, setting up a moralized account of divine wrath and its consequences.