Shloka 9
Citraketu Offends Śiva, Is Cursed by Pārvatī, and Is Glorified as a Vaiṣṇava
श्रीशुक उवाच भगवानपि तच्छ्रुत्वा प्रहस्यागाधधीर्नृप । तूष्णीं बभूव सदसि सभ्याश्च तदनुव्रता: ॥ ९ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca bhagavān api tac chrutvā prahasyāgādha-dhīr nṛpa tūṣṇīṁ babhūva sadasi sabhyāś ca tad-anuvratāḥ
Śukadeva Gosvāmī poursuivit : « Ô roi, après avoir entendu les paroles de Citraketu, le Seigneur Śiva, dont l’intelligence est insondable, sourit simplement et demeura silencieux dans l’assemblée; et tous les membres, suivant le Seigneur, ne dirent rien. »
Citraketu’s purpose in criticizing Lord Śiva is somewhat mysterious and cannot be understood by a common man. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, however, has made the following observations. Lord Śiva, being the most exalted Vaiṣṇava and one of the most powerful demigods, is able to do anything he desires. Although he was externally exhibiting the behavior of a common man and not following etiquette, such actions cannot diminish his exalted position. The difficulty is that a common man, seeing Lord Śiva’s behavior, might follow his example. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.21) :
FAQs
The verse highlights the Lord’s unfathomable wisdom—He responds not by argument but by composed silence, allowing events and higher principles (dharma and instruction) to unfold without agitation.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating to King Parīkṣit, describing how Bhagavān reacted in an assembly after hearing certain words.
A devotee can practice restraint—responding to provocation with calmness, avoiding needless debate, and trusting that truth and dharma are upheld best through steadiness and humility.