Shloka 22
Sunartaka-Naṭa Avatāra and Pārvatī’s Boon-Request (Śiva as the Testing Benefactor)
श्रुत्वा संगीतं तन्दृष्ट्वा सुनृत्यं च मनोहरम् । सहसा मुर्मुहुः सर्वे मेनापि च तदा मुने
śrutvā saṃgītaṃ tandṛṣṭvā sunṛtyaṃ ca manoharam | sahasā murmuhuḥ sarve menāpi ca tadā mune
Wahai resi, mendengar musik dan menyaksikan tarian yang begitu indah serta memikat, semua orang seketika terpesona hingga pingsan; saat itu Menā pun demikian.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Naṭarāja
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: nurturing
FAQs
The verse highlights how sacred sound (hearing music) and sacred vision (beholding a divine dance) can overpower ordinary mental restlessness, drawing the mind into awe and absorption—an experiential doorway to bhakti and inner stillness in a Shaiva context.
It aligns with Saguna Shiva devotion, where the devotee’s senses are sanctified through perceiving Shiva’s manifest leela—sound, form, and beauty—leading the heart toward reverence that ultimately supports deeper contemplation of Shiva beyond form.
A practical takeaway is śravaṇa (devotional listening) and darśana (reverent beholding): engage in Shiva kirtan or mantra-japa such as “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and meditate with focused attention, letting the mind become one-pointed rather than scattered.