Shloka 56
बाणासुरस्य शङ्करस्तुतिः तथा युद्धयाचनम् | Bāṇāsura’s Praise of Śiva and Petition for Battle
कामार्ता विविधान्भावाञ्चकारोन्मत्तमानसा । आनीतमथ तं दृष्ट्वा तदा भीता च साभवत्
kāmārtā vividhānbhāvāñcakāronmattamānasā | ānītamatha taṃ dṛṣṭvā tadā bhītā ca sābhavat
Tormented by desire, her mind became unsteady and she displayed many changing emotions. But when he was brought before her and she saw him, she then became afraid.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
It highlights how kāma (desire) agitates the mind into unstable moods, yet that same agitation can collapse into bhaya (fear) when reality confronts the ego—an implicit warning that bondage (pāśa) arises from uncontrolled inner impulses rather than from Shiva, the liberating Pati.
In Shaiva practice, Saguna Shiva and the Linga are approached as stabilizing supports for the mind; this verse depicts the opposite condition—an unsteady, passion-driven mind—thereby underscoring why devotees take refuge in Shiva’s form and mantra to gain steadiness and purity.
A practical takeaway is to pacify kāma and bhaya through japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with calm breath awareness; applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and maintaining a disciplined vow (niyama) are traditional Shaiva aids for mental steadiness.