Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 2
विष्णुचेष्टितवर्णनम् / Account of Viṣṇu’s Stratagem and Its Aftermath
इदानीं ब्रूहि सुप्रीत्या चरितं वैष्णवं मुने । स वृन्दां मोहयित्वा तु किमकार्षीत्कुतो गतः
idānīṃ brūhi suprītyā caritaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ mune | sa vṛndāṃ mohayitvā tu kimakārṣītkuto gataḥ
आता, हे मुने, अत्यंत प्रीतीने ते वैष्णव चरित्र सांगावे. वृंदेला मोहित करून त्याने काय केले आणि तो कुठे गेला?
Suta Goswami (narrative dialogue inferred: sages questioning through Suta’s recitation in Rudrasaṃhitā)
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Alludes to the Vṛndā-mohana episode connected with Jalandhara’s downfall; not a Jyotirliṅga-specific sthala narrative in this verse.
FAQs
It marks a transition into a morally charged narrative where “moha” (delusion) becomes the key theme—reminding the seeker, in Shaiva understanding, that liberation comes by transcending delusion through right discernment and devotion to Pati (Śiva), the Lord who grants clarity and mokṣa.
Though the verse asks about a Vaiṣṇava episode, the Shiva Purana frames such events to highlight the supremacy of dharma and the removal of moha—goals closely aligned with Saguna Śiva worship through the Liṅga, where the devotee seeks purity, protection, and the grace that dissolves bondage (pāśa).
The immediate takeaway is vigilance against moha: steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and regular Tripuṇḍra-bhasma application are traditional Shaiva disciplines for cultivating discrimination and inner steadiness when confronted with confusing narratives of desire, deception, and duty.