Shloka 28
तुलसी-शङ्खचूडोपाख्यानम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and the Tulasī Episode
Prelude to Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Fall
सनत्कुमार उवाच । इत्युक्त्वा जगतां नाथः शयनं च चकार ह । रेमे रमापतिस्तत्र रमया स तया मुदा
sanatkumāra uvāca | ityuktvā jagatāṃ nāthaḥ śayanaṃ ca cakāra ha | reme ramāpatistatra ramayā sa tayā mudā
Sanatkumāra said: Having spoken thus, the Lord of the worlds lay down to rest. There, the Lord of Śrī (Viṣṇu), together with Ramā (Lakṣmī), delighted—she with him, and he with her—in mutual joy.
Sanatkumara
Tattva Level: pashu
Shakti Form: Lalitā
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It shows how even divine rulers of the cosmos engage in rest and mutual enjoyment, reminding the seeker to recognize pleasure as transient and to orient the mind toward Pati (Śiva) as the ultimate refuge beyond changing states.
By depicting divine activity in a personal (saguṇa) mode, it supports devotional contemplation of the Lord with attributes; in Śaiva practice, such narratives mature bhakti that ultimately leads the devotee toward the Linga as the stable symbol of the Supreme beyond fluctuation.
A practical takeaway is mindful detachment: chant the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” and apply Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) to remember impermanence, so that enjoyment does not bind but becomes an offering within devotion.