Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 9
तुलसी-शङ्खचूडोपाख्यानम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and the Tulasī Episode
Prelude to Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Fall
अवरुह्य रथाद्विष्णुस्तद्देव्याभवनं ययौ । शंखचूडस्वरूपः स मायावी देवकार्यकृत्
avaruhya rathādviṣṇustaddevyābhavanaṃ yayau | śaṃkhacūḍasvarūpaḥ sa māyāvī devakāryakṛt
毗湿奴下了战车，前往那位女神的居所。他化作商迦楚陀之形，以幻力行事，去成就诸天的旨意。
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shakti Form: Durgā
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse highlights how māyā can be employed even by divine beings for cosmic order (dharma). From a Śaiva Siddhānta lens, it underscores discernment: outer forms can mislead, while the higher governance of Pati (Śiva) ultimately directs events toward balance and liberation-oriented order.
It reinforces that devotees should not cling to appearances or shifting narratives; instead, they should anchor devotion in Saguna Śiva—worshipped through the Liṅga as a stable focus—while remembering that all roles and forms in the cosmos operate under Śiva’s supreme lordship.
A practical takeaway is japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with mindful viveka, along with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of impermanence—training the mind to see through māyā and remain steady in Śiva-bhakti.