muktaṁ giriśam abhyāha
bhagavān puruṣottamaḥ
aho deva mahā-deva
pāpo 'yaṁ svena pāpmanā
hataḥ ko nu mahatsv īśa
jantur vai kṛta-kilbiṣaḥ
kṣemī syāt kim u viśveśe
kṛtāgasko jagad-gurau
muktam - delivered; giriśam - Lord Śiva; abhyāha - addressed; bhagavān puruṣa-uttamaḥ - the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Nārāyaṇa); aho - ah; deva - My dear lord; mahā-deva - Śiva; pāpaḥ - sinful; ayam - this person; svena - by his own; pāpmanā - sins; hataḥ - killed; kaḥ - what; nu - indeed; mahatsu - toward elevated saints; īśa - O master; jantuḥ - living being; vai - indeed; kṛta - having done; kilbiṣaḥ - offense; kṣemī - fortunate; syāt - can be; kim u - what to speak, moreover; viśva - of the universe; īśe - against the lord (you); kṛta-āgaskaḥ - having committed offense; jagat - of the universe; gurau - the spiritual master.
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, this statement of Lord Viṣṇu’s implies a mild scolding: “My dear possessor of unlimited vision, O you of clear intelligence, benedictions should not be given to wicked demons in this way. You could have been killed! But you were only concerned about saving this poor soul, so you disregarded what would happen to you as a result.” Thus, Ācārya Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out, Lord Nārāyaṇa’s mild rebuke also highlighted Lord Śiva’s exceptional compassion.