Satyavrata, Vasiṣṭha, and the Crisis of Dharma: Protection, Anger, and Vow-Discipline
सर्वकामदुहां दोग्ध्रीं ददर्श स नृपात्मजः । तां वै क्रोधाच्च लोभाच्च श्रमाद्वै च क्षुधान्वितः
sarvakāmaduhāṃ dogdhrīṃ dadarśa sa nṛpātmajaḥ | tāṃ vai krodhācca lobhācca śramādvai ca kṣudhānvitaḥ
The king’s son beheld the wish-fulfilling cow, the milch-giver who grants all desired enjoyments. Overcome by anger and greed, and worn with fatigue and hunger, he fixed his mind upon her.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
It shows how the pashu (individual soul) becomes bound by pāśa—anger, greed, and sense-driven hunger—so that even a sacred, wish-fulfilling presence is approached with grasping rather than reverence; Shaiva Siddhanta stresses purification of these impulses to become fit for Shiva’s grace.
Approaching the divine (Saguna Shiva in worship of the Linga) requires humility and inner restraint; this verse contrasts devotional approach with desire-driven appropriation, implying that true worship is not consumption of ‘boons’ but surrender that loosens bondage.
A practical takeaway is to counter krodha and lobha with japa of the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” and daily self-purification (e.g., Tripuṇḍra/bhasma with mindful restraint), cultivating detachment before prayer or ritual.