Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 35
शिवविहारवर्णनम् (Śivavihāra-varṇana) — “Description of Śiva’s Divine Pastimes/Sojourn”
मोहिनीसहितं चन्द्रं चकार विरतं रतौ । महर्षिर्गौतमस्तस्य स्त्रीविच्छेदो बभूव ह
mohinīsahitaṃ candraṃ cakāra virataṃ ratau | maharṣirgautamastasya strīvicchedo babhūva ha
Với Mohinī ở bên, (Đấng Chúa) khiến Candra (Mặt Trăng) dứt khỏi sự buông mình trong ái lạc; và đối với Candra ấy, sự lìa xa vợ đã xảy đến—như truyền thống thuật lại.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shakti Form: Mohinī
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: Graha-devatā moral correction motif; separation as karmic rebalancing
FAQs
The verse highlights that unrestrained desire (kāma) binds the soul (paśu) through karma, while restraint and dharma restore balance; in Shaiva thought, such mastery supports purification needed for Shiva’s grace (pati-anugraha).
Saguna Shiva is portrayed as the moral governor who corrects disorder in the cosmos and in beings; Linga-worship similarly trains the devotee toward inner purity, aligning conduct with Shiva’s dharma so devotion becomes transformative rather than merely ritual.
A practical takeaway is sense-restraint supported by Shiva-japa—especially the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—along with vrata observance (such as Mahāśivarātri discipline) and simple bhasma/tripuṇḍra practice to remember purity and detachment.