Shloka 38
पिप्पलादावतारकथनम्
Account of the Pippalāda Avatāra
सुवर्चोवाच । अहो सुरा द्रुष्टतराश्च सर्वे स्वकार्यदक्षा ह्यबुधाश्च लुब्धाः । तस्माच्च सर्वे पशवो भवन्तु सेन्द्राश्च मेऽद्यप्रभृतीत्युवाच
suvarcovāca | aho surā druṣṭatarāśca sarve svakāryadakṣā hyabudhāśca lubdhāḥ | tasmācca sarve paśavo bhavantu sendrāśca me'dyaprabhṛtītyuvāca
Suvarcā said: “Alas! All these gods have become exceedingly deceitful—clever in securing their own ends, yet foolish and greedy. Therefore, from this very day, let them all become beasts, Indra included!”
Suvarcā
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Shakti Form: Caṇḍikā
Role: destructive
FAQs
The verse warns that even exalted beings fall into ‘paśu-bhāva’ (the condition of a bound creature) when driven by greed and self-interest; in Shaiva thought, liberation comes by turning from selfish cunning to devotion and right discernment under Pati (Śiva).
By portraying the Devas as susceptible to delusion, the text redirects the seeker toward Saguna Śiva—worship of the Liṅga as the steady refuge beyond the fickleness of ego-driven powers—so the devotee seeks grace rather than worldly gain.
A practical takeaway is to counter greed with daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and cultivate humility in pūjā; the verse supports a discipline of restraint and devotion rather than desire-centered ritual.