FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.17.7

जटाधरस्तीव्रतपा ब्रह्मवादिसभापति: । अङ्कीकृत्य स्त्रियं चास्ते गतह्री: प्राकृतो यथा ॥ ७ ॥
jaṭā-dharas tīvra-tapā
[jataa-dharas teevra-tapaa]
brahmavādi-sabhā-patiḥ
[brahmavaadi-sabhaa-patih]
aṅkīkṛtya striyaṁ cāste
[ankeekritya striyam chaaste]
gata-hrīḥ prākṛto yathā
[gata-hreeh praakrito yathaa]
Word-for-word
jaṭā-dharaḥ — keeping matted locks of hair tīvra-tapāḥ — highly elevated due to undergoing fierce austerities and penances brahma-vādi — of strict followers of the Vedic principles sabhā-patiḥ — the president of an assembly aṅkīkṛtya — embracing striyam — a woman ca — and āste — sits gata-hrīḥ — without shame prākṛtaḥ — a person conditioned by material nature yathā — just as.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jaṭā-dharas tīvra-tapā
jaṭā-dharaḥ
keeping matted locks of hair
tīvra-tapāḥ
highly elevated due to undergoing fierce austerities and penances
brahmavādi-sabhā-patiḥ
brahma-vādi
of strict followers of the Vedic principles
sabhā-patiḥ
the president of an assembly
aṅkīkṛtya striyaṁ cāste
aṅkīkṛtya
embracing
striyam
a woman
ca
and
āste
sits
gata-hrīḥ prākṛto yathā
gata-hrīḥ
without shame
prākṛtaḥ
a person conditioned by material nature
yathā
just as.
Lord Śiva, whose hair is matted on his head, has certainly undergone great austerities and penances. Indeed, he is the president in the assembly of strict followers of Vedic principles. Nonetheless, he is seated with his wife on his lap in the midst of saintly persons and is embracing her as if he were a shameless, ordinary human being.
Purport

Citraketu appreciated the exalted position of Lord Śiva, and therefore he remarked at how wonderful it was that Lord Śiva was acting like an ordinary human being. He appreciated Lord Śiva’s position, but when he saw Lord Śiva sitting in the midst of saintly persons and acting like a shameless, ordinary man, he was astonished. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that although Citraketu criticized Lord Śiva, he did not offend Lord Śiva like Dakṣa. Dakṣa considered Lord Śiva insignificant, but Citraketu expressed his wonder at Lord Śiva’s being situated in that way.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Lord Śiva, with matted hair, the performer of great austerities and the leader of the assembly of brahmavādīs, is seated with his wife on his lap without shame, like an ordinary mortal. Śiva is not a mortal being since he is the Lord. However, one should not think that Citraketu was an offender like Dakṣa.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Matted-hair Śiva, who has undergone great austerities and presides over Vedic followers, sits with his wife on his lap in an assembly of saints. Apparent contradiction baffles the observer; the contradiction is in the observer's frame, not in Śiva.
Reflection Questions
  • Which 'contradictions' in great souls are actually limitations of my frame?
  • Have I asked rather than judged?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 17