Shloka 15

वसन्त-प्रभावः तथा काम-उद्दीपन-वर्णनम् | Spring’s Influence and the Arousal of Kāma

Devanagari script

वसंते प्रसृते तत्र कामो रतिसमन्वितः । चूतं बाणं समाकृष्य स्थितस्तद्वामपार्श्वतः

Transliteration

vasaṃte prasṛte tatra kāmo ratisamanvitaḥ | cūtaṃ bāṇaṃ samākṛṣya sthitastadvāmapārśvataḥ

Translation

Als der Frühling sich dort ganz ausgebreitet hatte, spannte Kāma—von Ratī begleitet—seinen Pfeil aus Mangoblüte und stellte sich zu Seiner Linken, bereit, Verlangen zu entfachen. Doch für den Großen Herrn (Pati) sind solche Reize nur weltliche Kräfte, die das verwirklichte Selbst nicht binden können.

Word by Word

• वसन्ते: in spring
• वसन्ते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• प्रसृते: having advanced/spread
• प्रसृते: अधिकरणे विशेषण (Qualifier of locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-सृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; वसन्ते इति पदस्य विशेषणम् (when spring had spread/advanced)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• कामः: Kāma (Cupid)
• कामः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• रति-समन्वितः: accompanied by Rati
• रति-समन्वितः: कर्तृविशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+अन्वि+क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणम् कामस्य (accompanied by Rati)

• चूतम्: mango (blossom/tree)
• चूतम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• बाणम्: arrow
• बाणम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• समाकृष्य: having drawn
• समाकृष्य: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-कृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal); ‘having drawn/pulled’

• स्थितः: stood
• स्थितः: क्रिया (state/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कामस्य (stood/was stationed)

• तत्: of him/that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; ‘तस्य’ अर्थे (of him/that)

• वामपार्श्वतः: at/from the left side
• वामपार्श्वतः: अपादान/अधिकरण (source/side-position)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक) + पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘from/at the left side’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Rati

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Kama
• Rati

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

The verse depicts desire (Kāma) attempting to act upon the divine presence; spiritually, it highlights that worldly impulses arise with favorable seasons and conditions, but the liberated Lord—and the devotee aligned to Him—remains unbound by such forces.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

In Saguna narration, Shiva appears within a dramatic scene where Kāma prepares to strike; in Linga-worship, the same truth is internalized—Shiva as Pati is the inner witness beyond passion, and devotion to the Linga steadies the mind against desire.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady breath and sense-restraint, using vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa as reminders to sublimate kāma into bhakti and inner stillness.