Shloka 19

शिवार्चनविधिः — देवतानां पाशुपतव्रतप्राप्तिः तथा पशुपाशविमोक्षणम् (अध्याय ८०)

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा नार्यस्तदा विष्णुं मदाघूर्णितलोचनाः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā nāryastadā viṣṇuṃ madāghūrṇitalocanāḥ

Translation

அப்போது விஷ்ணுவைக் கண்ட அந்தப் பெண்கள்—மதத்தால் சுழலும் கண்களுடன்—மாயைமோகத்தின் வசப்பட்டு உள்ளத்தில் நிலையிழந்தனர்।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen

• नार्यः: women

• तदा: then

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu

• मद: intoxication/delusive rapture

• आघूर्णित: whirling/reeling

• लोचनाः: eyes (those whose eyes are so affected)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It highlights how māyā (pāśa) agitates the senses; Linga-worship is presented as a stabilizing upāya that turns the paśu away from delusive attraction toward Pati (Shiva), the still center beyond sensory whirl.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By showing delusion arising in beings upon a powerful vision, the verse implicitly contrasts the bound paśu with Shiva-tattva: Pati is not shaken by māyā, while embodied souls are disturbed by it until purified by grace and right practice.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway aligns with Pāśupata discipline: sense-restraint (indriya-nigraha), steady contemplation, and devotion centered on the Linga to overcome the ‘reeling of the eyes’—the outward rush of perception that fuels bondage.