Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.14.29

brahmādayo yat-kṛta-setu-pālā

yat-kāraṇaḿ viśvam idaḿ ca māyā

ājñā-karī yasya piśāca-caryā

aho vibhūmnaś caritaḿ viḍambanam

SYNONYMS

brahma-ādayaḥ — demigods like Brahmā; yat — whose; kṛta — activities; setu — religious rites; pālāḥ — observers; yat — one who is; kāraṇam — the origin of; viśvam — the universe; idam — this; ca — also; māyā — material energy; ājñā-karī — order carrier; yasya — whose; piśāca — devilish; caryā — activity; aho — O my lord; vibhūmnaḥ — of the great; caritam — character; viḍambanam — simply imitation.

TRANSLATION

Demigods like Brahmā also follow the religious rites observed by him. He is the controller of the material energy, which causes the creation of the material world. He is great, and therefore his devilish characteristics are simply imitation.

PURPORT

Lord Śiva is the husband of Durgā, the controller of the material energy. Durgā is personified material energy, and Lord Śiva, being her husband, is the controller of the material energy. He is also the incarnation of the mode of ignorance and one of the three deities representing the Supreme Lord. As His representative, Lord Śiva is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is very great, and his renunciation of all material enjoyment is an ideal example of how one should be materially unattached. One should therefore follow in his footsteps and be unattached to matter, not imitate his uncommon acts like drinking poison.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness