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
天の女たちは自らの世界より現れ、そこで常に飲み交わした。天の男たちとともに水に身を沈め、そこで戯れ遊び、歓楽の疲れによりその身はほっそりとした。
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.