Shloka 39
Dehāśucitā-vicāraḥ
Inquiry into the Impurity of the Body
तेन ज्वारेण महता सम्मोहश्च प्रजायते । सम्मूढस्य स्मृतिभ्रंशश्शीघ्रं संजायते पुनः
tena jvāreṇa mahatā sammohaśca prajāyate | sammūḍhasya smṛtibhraṃśaśśīghraṃ saṃjāyate punaḥ
From that intense fever arises delusion; and for one thus bewildered, loss of memory quickly occurs again and again.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; continues the causal chain of bondage: bodily affliction (jvara) conditions cognition into sammoha, producing repeated smṛti-bhraṃśa—veiling the paśu’s innate capacity for discrimination.
Significance: Encourages sādhana aimed at clarity (viveka) and Śiva-anugraha rather than trusting unstable embodied cognition.
FAQs
It describes how powerful affliction (a form of pāśa—bondage) clouds discernment and repeatedly disrupts smṛti (right recollection), making the soul forget its higher aim; liberation requires restoring clarity through Shiva-oriented awareness.
When delusion and memory-loss arise, steady Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga-upāsanā—functions as an anchor for smṛti and bhakti, helping the devotee return to right understanding and devotion despite inner disturbance.
A practical takeaway is japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to stabilize the mind and restore smṛti; supportive Shaiva disciplines like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa may be adopted as aids to steadiness.