Shloka 46
Kāṣṭhīla-Upākhyāna: Rākṣasī, Spear-Śakti, and Kāśī as Śakti-kṣetra
मोहिनीमोहितो देहमुत्ससर्ज कथं स च । यः शिवः शिवदः साक्षात्प्रकृतीशः परात्परः ॥ ४६ ॥
mohinīmohito dehamutsasarja kathaṃ sa ca | yaḥ śivaḥ śivadaḥ sākṣātprakṛtīśaḥ parātparaḥ || 46 ||
मोहिनीमोहितो देहमुत्ससर्ज कथं स च। यः शिवः शिवदः साक्षात्प्रकृतीशः परात्परः॥
Narrator (Purāṇic dialogue frame; speaker not explicit in this single verse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka (fear)
FAQs
It highlights a theological tension: even if a divine “delusion” narrative is told, Śiva’s essential nature is affirmed as transcendent—bestower of auspiciousness and Lord over Prakṛti—so the episode is read as līlā (divine play) or as a teaching about māyā, not a denial of Śiva’s supremacy.
By naming Śiva as “śiva-da” (giver of auspiciousness) and “parāt-para,” it encourages devotional reverence grounded in right understanding: the devotee worships the deity’s highest tattva beyond surface narratives, cultivating steady bhakti rather than doubt.
Primarily Vyākaraṇa/semantic discernment: epithets like prakṛtīśa and parāt-para teach precise theological meaning—distinguishing narrative description from siddhānta (doctrinal conclusion) when interpreting Purāṇic passages.