Shloka 21
मेनायाः क्रोध-विलापः — Menā’s Lament and Reproach
to the Sage
अथो न वा मृता चाहं पुत्रिका न मृता कथम् । रक्षसाद्य कथं नो वा भक्षिता गगने पुनः
atho na vā mṛtā cāhaṃ putrikā na mṛtā katham | rakṣasādya kathaṃ no vā bhakṣitā gagane punaḥ
“Or else—am I not dead? Then how is my daughter not dead? Or how have we not been eaten by a rākṣasa and the like—again, up in the sky?”
A distressed mother in the Pārvatīkhaṇḍa narrative (a human woman lamenting and questioning her survival)
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: A human lament of improbable survival: the speaker wonders why she and her daughter are not dead or devoured by rākṣasas ‘in the sky’; the narrative underscores unseen protection amid peril.
Significance: Encourages recognition of īśvara-rakṣā (divine protection) even when the pashu cannot interpret events; a prompt toward surrender rather than paranoia.
FAQs
It captures the mind’s shock and doubt in crisis—yet implicitly points to unseen divine protection (Śiva’s grace) that preserves life even when danger seems certain.
In the Parvati-khaṇḍa narrative tone, such peril and deliverance frame Saguna Śiva as the compassionate Protector (rakṣaka) who intervenes in worldly threats, leading devotees toward refuge in His worship.
A practical takeaway is to take refuge in japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) during fear, supported by simple Śaiva markers like vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and a prayerful remembrance of Śiva as protector.