Text 7
jaṭā-dharas tīvra-tapā
brahmavādi-sabhā-patiḥ
aṅkīkṛtya striyaṁ cāste
gata-hrīḥ prākṛto yathā
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.
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.
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.