Shloka 15
Brahmopadeśa: Adhipatitva-kathana, Dharma-lakṣaṇa, and Kṣetra–Kṣetrajña Viveka
Book 14, Chapter 43
भगदेवानुयातानां सर्वासां वामलोचना । माहेश्वरी महादेवी प्रोच्यते पार्वती हि सा
bhagadevānuyātānāṁ sarvāsāṁ vāmalocanā | māheśvarī mahādevī procyate pārvatī hi sā ||
Vāyu dit : «Parmi toutes les femmes que poursuivent les hommes en proie au désir, la première est celle aux beaux yeux — celle dont on parle comme de Māheśvarī, Mahādevī et, en vérité, Pārvatī. Sachez que l’auspicieuse Umā-devī est la meilleure entre les femmes ; et parmi celles que l’on recherche pour le plaisir, les Apsaras parées d’ornements d’or sont les plus éminentes.»
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates the divine ideal of womanhood in the form of Umā/Pārvatī—named Māheśvarī and Mahādevī—placing her as the highest among women, while also acknowledging that worldly desire tends to pursue ornamented apsarases; it implicitly contrasts sacred excellence with sensual attraction.
Vāyudeva is speaking in praise and classification of feminine figures: he identifies Pārvatī/Umā by her epithets and declares her supreme among women, then notes that among pleasure-seeking contexts, richly adorned apsarases are regarded as foremost.