552 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 14

activities; acarat— performed, gatih—destination; satam—of the devotees of
the Lord.

TRANSLATION

Although no one in the material world is equal to or greater than Lord
Siva, and although his unimpeachable character is followed by great souls
to dismantle the mass of nescience, he nevertheless remains as if a devil in
order to give salvation to all devotees of the Lord.

PURPORT

Lord Siva’s uncivilized devilish characteristics are never abominable
because he teaches the sincere devotees of the Lord how to practice
detachment from material enjoyment. He is called Mahadeva, or the
greatest of all demigods, and no one is equal to or greater than him in the
material world. He is almost equal with Lord Visnu. Although he always
associates with Maya, Durga, he is above the reactionary stage of the three
modes of material nature, and although he is in charge of devilish
characters in the mode of ignorance, he is not affected by such association.

TEXT 28
water aerated & gam:
aay THRMATZT: aatieag |
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Ted TATA |X

hasanti yasyacaritam hi durbhagah
svatman ratasyavidusah samihitam

yair vastra-malyabharandnulepanaih
§va-bhojanam svatmatayopalalitam

S

hasanti—laugh at; yasya—whose; dcaritam—activity; hi—certainly; dur-
bhagah—the unfortunate; sva-dtman—in the self; ratasya—of one engaged;
avidusah—not knowing; samihitam—his purpose; yaih—by whom; vastra—
clothing; malya—garlands; abharana—ornaments; anu—such luxurious;
lepanaih—with ointments; sva-bhojanam—eatable by the dogs; sva-
atmataya—as if the self; upalalitam—fondled.

TRANSLATION

Unfortunate, foolish persons, not knowing that he is engaged in his own
self, laugh at him. Such foolish persons engage in maintaining the body—
which is eatable by dogs—with dresses, ornaments, garlands and ointments.
