Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 12
हिमवतः सुमङ्गलोत्सव-नगररचना
Himavān’s Auspicious Festival Preparations and City Adornment
क्वचित्स्त्रियः कृत्रिमाश्च नृत्यन्त्यः पुरुषैस्सह । मोहयन्त्यो जनान्सर्वान्पश्यन्त्यः कृत्रिमास्तथा
kvacitstriyaḥ kṛtrimāśca nṛtyantyaḥ puruṣaissaha | mohayantyo janānsarvānpaśyantyaḥ kṛtrimāstathā
Có nơi, những người nữ tạo tác múa cùng nam nhân. Họ làm mê hoặc hết thảy mọi người, rồi chính những kẻ đánh lừa ấy lại đảo mắt nhìn quanh bằng dáng vẻ giả tạo.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Bhairava
FAQs
The verse highlights moha—delusion created by contrivance and sense-display—as a form of bondage (pāśa). From a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, it warns the seeker to discern appearances and turn the mind toward Pati (Shiva), the liberating Lord, rather than being captured by deceptive attractions.
By exposing the instability of worldly fascination, the verse implicitly directs attention to a stable support for devotion: Saguna Shiva worship (including the Linga) as a concrete focus for the mind. Linga-upasana steadies awareness away from distraction and toward Shiva, who alone cuts the bonds of delusion.
The takeaway is vigilance and restraint: practice japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") to purify attention, and adopt disciplined conduct (niyama) to avoid situations that intensify moha. If following Purana-based Shaiva practice, pairing japa with bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and devotion reinforces inner detachment.