Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33
दक्षयज्ञोत्तरवृत्तान्तः
Post–Dakṣa-Yajña Developments and the Appeal to Viṣṇu
पपुः सुरस्त्रियो नित्यमवगूह्य स्वलोकतः । विगाह्य पुंभिस्तास्तत्र क्रीडंति रतिकर्शिताः
papuḥ surastriyo nityamavagūhya svalokataḥ | vigāhya puṃbhistāstatra krīḍaṃti ratikarśitāḥ
Les femmes célestes y buvaient sans cesse, venues de leurs propres mondes. S’immergeant avec les hommes célestes, elles s’ébattaient en ce lieu, leurs corps rendus sveltes par les élans du plaisir.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it depicts a celestial pleasure-bathing spot visited by devas and apsarases, functioning as a narrative contrast to the later yogic Śaiva locus.
Significance: Implicit teaching: even refined heavenly enjoyments remain within saṃsāra and do not equal mokṣa; they can intensify bondage through attachment.
FAQs
It illustrates the allure of svarga-like enjoyment—beautiful yet transient—implying that pleasure is not the final aim; in Shaiva thought, lasting fulfillment comes through turning toward Shiva (Pati) and seeking liberation rather than remaining bound by rati (sense-enjoyment).
By contrasting heavenly sport with the higher refuge, it indirectly points the seeker toward Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga-upasana—as a stabilizing focus that purifies desire and redirects the mind from fleeting delights to Shiva’s grace.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate vairagya alongside devotion: daily japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with Tripundra and Rudraksha, using worship to transform desire into bhakti rather than chasing svarga-pleasures.