Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 23
शिवतत्त्वे परापरभावविचारः
Inquiry into Śiva’s Principle and the Parā–Aparā Paradox
प्रजानां रतिहेतुश्च कामो रतिपतिस्स्वयम् । क्रोशतामेव देवानां हुतो नेत्रहुताशने
prajānāṃ ratihetuśca kāmo ratipatissvayam | krośatāmeva devānāṃ huto netrahutāśane
كَامَا—سيدُ الشهوة وسببُ رغباتِ الخلائق—قد التهمته النارُ المتقدةُ من عينِ شيفا (العين الثالثة)، والآلهةُ تصرخُ صراخًا عاليًا.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
Sthala Purana: References Kāma-dahana: Śiva’s eye-fire consumes Kāma, curbing desire that agitates beings and even gods; a moral-theological exemplar rather than a Jyotirliṅga legend here.
Significance: Teaches mastery over kāma as a prerequisite for higher bhakti/jñāna; Śiva’s ‘concealment’ (tirodhāna) restrains sense-impulses to redirect the soul toward liberation.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It depicts Shiva as Pati, the supreme Lord who burns pasha—bondage in the form of desire—showing that liberation requires the purification and mastery of kama rather than surrender to it.
The eye-born fire symbolizes Saguna Shiva’s active grace: in Linga-worship, the devotee approaches Shiva as the living Lord who removes inner impurities (like lust) and establishes steadiness for dhyana and bhakti.
Practice japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with restraint (brahmacharya/indriya-nigraha), and support it with Shiva-puja disciplines such as bhasma (tripundra) and focused meditation on Shiva’s inner light.