Shloka 43
Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies
यया शक्रप्रियार्थिन्या कृतो मे तपसो व्ययः त्वया धिक् त्वां महामोहमञ्जूषां सुजुगुप्सिताम्
yayā śakrapriyārthinyā kṛto me tapaso vyayaḥ tvayā dhik tvāṃ mahāmohamañjūṣāṃ sujugupsitām
Because of you—who sought only to please Śakra—my hard-won austerities have been squandered. Fie upon you! Fie upon you, you most detestable casket of great delusion!
A sage/ascetic (addressing an Indra-sent temptress/apparition within the narrative frame relayed by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)
Concept: Worldly allure, motivated by pleasing Indra (Śakra), can squander tapas; delusion (moha) is condemned as spiritually ruinous.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Guard spiritual practice from ego and distraction; treat praise, pleasure, and status as tests that can drain inner power.
Vishishtadvaita: Moha is a binding distortion within prakṛti; true strength of tapas is preserved by turning intention toward the Supreme rather than deva-centered reward-seeking.
FAQs
Śakra represents worldly sovereignty that becomes anxious about ascetic power; the verse reflects the recurring Purāṇic theme of Indra attempting to divert tapas through temptation.
Tapas is treated as accumulated spiritual potency that can be ‘spent’ or ‘wasted’ when the mind is conquered by moha (delusion) and desire, even if the distraction appears pleasing or divine.
The verse implicitly contrasts unstable, desire-driven aims (seeking Indra’s favor) with the Purāṇic ideal of aligning one’s practice toward the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—beyond moha and transient heavenly rewards.