Shloka 1

कामविवाहवर्णनम् / Description of Kāma’s Marriage

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । विष्णुशिष्य महाप्राज्ञ विधे लोककर प्रभो । अद्भुतेयं कथा प्रोक्ता शिवलीलामृतान्विता

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | viṣṇuśiṣya mahāprājña vidhe lokakara prabho | adbhuteyaṃ kathā proktā śivalīlāmṛtānvitā

Translation

Nārada sprach: „O Schüler Viṣṇus, o Vidhī (Brahmā), du Hochweiser, o Herr, der die Welten hervorbringt—diese wunderbare Erzählung ist vorgetragen worden, erfüllt vom Nektar von Śivas göttlicher Līlā.“

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विष्णु-शिष्य: O disciple of Viṣṇu
• विष्णु-शिष्य: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः शिष्यः); पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन (Vocative)

• महाप्राज्ञ: O very wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महान् प्राज्ञः); पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन (Vocative)

• विधे: O Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन (Vocative)

• लोक-कर: O maker of the world
• लोक-कर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य कर्ता/करः); पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन (Vocative)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन (Vocative)

• अद्भुता: wonderful
• अद्भुता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘कथा’)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• कथा: story
• कथा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• प्रोक्ता: has been told
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘प्रोक्त’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) — predicate to ‘कथा’

• शिव-लीला-अमृत-अन्विता: endowed with the nectar of Śiva’s divine play
• शिव-लीला-अमृत-अन्विता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + लीला (प्रातिपदिक) + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक/क्त)
• Form: समासः: (शिवस्य लीला) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + (लीला-अमृतम्) तत्पुरुष + (अमृत-अन्विता) तृतीया/तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘युक्ता’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘कथा’)

Speaker

Nārada

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Vishnu
• Brahma
• Shiva

FAQs

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

This verse frames Śiva-kathā as “amṛta”—a liberating, grace-filled hearing that purifies the bound soul (paśu) and turns attention toward Pati (Śiva), making devotion and remembrance the doorway to inner freedom.

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

By praising Śiva’s līlā as nectar, the verse supports saguna-upāsanā—approaching Śiva through narrations, forms, and divine acts; such Śiva-kathā naturally culminates in reverence for Śiva’s manifest presence, including the Śiva-liṅga as a sacred focus of worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Śravaṇa (devotional listening) of Śiva-kathā is implied—regular recitation/hearing of the Purāṇa, ideally alongside japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to internalize the nectar of Śiva’s līlā.