Shloka 15
Brahmā–Viṣṇu Garva-vādaḥ
The Dispute of Pride Between Brahmā and Viṣṇu
समीक्ष्य दैवतगणाः शशंसुर्भृशमाकुलाः । ततो विष्णुः सुसंक्रुद्धः श्वसन्व्यसनकर्शितः
samīkṣya daivatagaṇāḥ śaśaṃsurbhṛśamākulāḥ | tato viṣṇuḥ susaṃkruddhaḥ śvasanvyasanakarśitaḥ
Seeing this, the hosts of gods, greatly agitated, cried out in alarm. Thereupon Viṣṇu—deeply enraged, breathing hard and worn down by distress—responded at once.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
The verse highlights that even divine beings can be shaken by agitation and distress, implying that true refuge lies beyond reactive emotion—pointing, in Shaiva Siddhanta, toward Pati (Shiva) as the stabilizing, liberating reality when pasha (bondage) manifests as fear and turmoil.
The narrative mood—gods alarmed and a deity reacting in anger—sets the backdrop for why Saguna Shiva worship (especially the Linga as the accessible, steady form) is upheld in the Purana as a means to regain equilibrium, protection, and right orientation toward the Supreme.
A practical takeaway is japa of the Panchakshara mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to pacify agitation, along with steadying observances like applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and mindful breath to transform reactive distress into devotion and inner stillness.