SB 6.17.7 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

जटाधरस्तीव्रतपा ब्रह्मवादिसभापति: । अङ्कीकृत्य स्त्रियं चास्ते गतह्री: प्राकृतो यथा ॥ ७ ॥

Verse text

jaṭā-dharas tīvra-tapā brahmavādi-sabhā-patiḥ aṅkīkṛtya striyaṁ cāste gata-hrīḥ prākṛto yathā

Synonyms

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 .

Translation

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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

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.

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.