Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.12.31
तस्यासौ पदवीं रुद्रो विष्णोरद्भुतकर्मण:
प्रत्यपद्यत कामेन वैरिणेव विनिर्जित: ॥ ३१ ॥
tasyāsau padavīṁ rudro
[tasyaasau padaveem rudro]
viṣṇor adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
[vishnor adbhuta-karmanah]
pratyapadyata kāmena
[pratyapadyata kaamena]
vairiṇeva vinirjitaḥ
[vairineva vinirjitah]
Word-for-word
tasya
—
of He who is the Supreme Lord
asau
—
Lord Śiva
padavīm
—
the place
rudraḥ
—
Lord Śiva
viṣṇoḥ
—
of Lord Viṣṇu
adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
—
of He who acts very wonderfully
pratyapadyata
—
began to follow
kāmena
—
by lusty desire
vairiṇā iva
—
as if by an enemy
vinirjitaḥ
—
being harassed.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tasyāsau padavīṁ rudro
tasya
of He who is the Supreme Lord
asau
Lord Śiva
padavīm
the place
rudraḥ
Lord Śiva
viṣṇor adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
viṣṇoḥ
of Lord Viṣṇu
adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
of He who acts very wonderfully
pratyapadyata kāmena
pratyapadyata
began to follow
kāmena
by lusty desire
vairiṇeva vinirjitaḥ
vairiṇā iva
as if by an enemy
vinirjitaḥ
being harassed.
As if harassed by an enemy in the form of lusty desires, Lord Śiva followed the path of Lord Viṣṇu, who acts very wonderfully and who had taken the form of Mohinī.
Purport
Lord Śiva cannot be victimized by māyā. Therefore it is to be understood that Lord Śiva was being thus harassed by Lord Viṣṇu’s internal potency. Lord Viṣṇu can perform many wonderful activities through His various potencies.
parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca
( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8 )
The Supreme Lord has various potencies, by which He can act very efficiently. To do anything expertly, He doesn’t even need to contemplate. Since Lord Śiva was being harassed by the woman, it is to be understood that this was being done not by a woman but by Lord Viṣṇu Himself.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
As if harassed by an enemy in the form of lust, Lord Śiva followed after Viṣṇu, who acts in an astonishing way.
The word “as if” indicate that in reality Śiva was not conquered by lust.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Harassed by lust as if by an enemy, Śiva followed the form of Viṣṇu. Lust here is named as enemy. Even Śiva is not immune when Viṣṇu's internal potency is deployed. The Lord's various potencies act with full efficiency.
Reflection Questions
- Do I see lust as my enemy, or as part of my identity?
- Where am I 'following' something I have not yet identified as enemy?
My note
Source: vedabase.io