Shloka 28
Vṛṣeśākhya-Śivāvatāra and the Initiation of the Kṣīrasāgara-Manthana
Churning of the Milk Ocean
जगृहुर्मुनयस्सर्वे कामधेनुम्मुनीश्वराः । सामान्यतस्त्रियस्ताश्च स्थिता आसन्विमोहिताः
jagṛhurmunayassarve kāmadhenummunīśvarāḥ | sāmānyatastriyastāśca sthitā āsanvimohitāḥ
Then all the sages—masters among ascetics—seized Kāmadhenū. Those women, however, stood there in an ordinary way, bewildered and deluded.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Sthala Purana: Not Jyotirliṅga-related; continues the manthana distribution scramble: sages seize Kāmadhenū while others remain bewildered—an illustration of moha under māyā.
Significance: Ethical teaching: even ascetics can be drawn into possessiveness when veiling operates; encourages vairāgya and alignment with Īśvara’s will.
Cosmic Event: Post-manthana appropriation of boons: Kāmadhenū taken by sages; collective moha persists among bystanders.
FAQs
The verse highlights how moha (bewilderment) can render beings passive and “ordinary,” while the sages act decisively—pointing to the Shaiva Siddhānta theme that liberation requires viveka (discernment) to overcome māyā and act in alignment with dharma.
Though not explicitly about the Liṅga, the contrast between clarity and delusion supports Saguna Shiva worship as a practical means to purify the mind—through devotion and discipline—so the seeker is not overwhelmed by māyā in worldly situations.
A direct takeaway is to cultivate steadiness against moha through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and daily Shaiva discipline (bhasma/tripuṇḍra and rudrākṣa with mindful conduct), strengthening discernment and self-control.