Shloka 6
Bhairavaśāpavṛttāntaḥ
The Episode of Bhairava’s Curse and Consolation
तां देवीं भैरवस्सोथ नारीदृष्ट्या विलोक्य च । निषिषेध बहिर्गन्तुं तद्रूपेण विमोहितः
tāṃ devīṃ bhairavassotha nārīdṛṣṭyā vilokya ca | niṣiṣedha bahirgantuṃ tadrūpeṇa vimohitaḥ
Then Bhairava, beholding that Goddess with a woman’s gaze, was deluded by her very form; and, thus bewildered, he forbade her to go out.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Bhairava
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse highlights how captivating form (rūpa) can generate moha (delusion). In Shaiva thought, even powerful beings must transcend fascination with appearances and abide in discernment, turning the mind from outward compulsion toward inner steadiness in Shiva-consciousness.
The narrative operates in the Saguna mode—Bhairava and the Goddess appear with form and action—yet it indirectly points to the Linga ideal: worship that trains the devotee to move beyond sensory enchantment toward the formless (Nirguna) reality signified by the Linga.
A practical takeaway is japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with sense-restraint (indriya-nigraha), using vibhuti (Tripundra) and Rudraksha as reminders to redirect attention from outward attraction to inner remembrance of Shiva.