Shloka 67
मेनायाः क्रोध-विलापः — Menā’s Lament and Reproach
to the Sage
अथवा स्वशरीरं हि त्यक्ष्याम्याश्वन्यथा ध्रुवम् । न दास्ये शम्भवे कन्यां दुर्गां विकटरूपिणे
athavā svaśarīraṃ hi tyakṣyāmyāśvanyathā dhruvam | na dāsye śambhave kanyāṃ durgāṃ vikaṭarūpiṇe
“Otherwise, I shall swiftly abandon this very body—this is certain. I will not give my daughter, the formidable and awe-inspiring Durgā, to Śambhu.”
Himālaya (Parvatī’s father), as narrated within Sūta Gosvāmi’s discourse
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
FAQs
It highlights the tension between worldly fear/judgment and divine destiny: even revered figures can resist Śiva due to misunderstanding His ascetic, awe-inspiring form, yet the narrative ultimately affirms Śiva as the supreme Pati (Lord) and the rightful goal of devotion.
Śiva is called Śambhu here, pointing to Saguna Shiva—personally approachable yet sometimes misread by the worldly mind. Linga-worship trains the devotee to see beyond external appearances and recognize Śiva’s auspicious reality within the seemingly “terrific” form.
A practical takeaway is to steady one’s perception through Shiva-upāsanā—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and reverent Linga-pūjā—so that fear of external form is transformed into bhakti and discernment.