Shloka 38
त्रिपुरदीक्षाविधानम् — Tripura Dīkṣā: Prescriptive Procedure
Chapter on the Ordinance of Initiation
प्रविश्य तत्पुरं तूर्णं विष्णुना नोदितो वशी । महामायाविना तेन ऋषिर्मायां तदाकरोत्
praviśya tatpuraṃ tūrṇaṃ viṣṇunā nodito vaśī | mahāmāyāvinā tena ṛṣirmāyāṃ tadākarot
Entering that city at once, the powerful sage—urged on by Viṣṇu—then employed illusion. Being a great wielder of Mahāmāyā, he cast that māyā at that very time.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka
FAQs
The verse highlights māyā as a real operative power within the world-process: even exalted beings may deploy it for a righteous purpose, yet liberation in Shaiva thought ultimately lies in transcending māyā and realizing Pati (Śiva) as the truth beyond delusion.
By showing how māyā can shape perception and events, the verse implicitly points devotees toward stable refuge in saguna upāsanā—such as Liṅga worship—through which the mind becomes purified and capable of discerning Śiva beyond the play of appearances.
A practical takeaway is mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady discrimination (viveka) to avoid being swayed by māyā; if performed with devotion, it supports inner clarity amid changing circumstances.