Shloka 4

कामप्रभावः (कामा॑स्य प्रभाववर्णनम्) — The Power of Kāma and the (Ineffective) Attempt to Delude Śiva

Devanagari script

विविधान्कृतवान्यत्नान् रत्या सह मनोभवः । जीवास्सर्वे वशं यातास्सगणेशश्शिवो न हि

Transliteration

vividhānkṛtavānyatnān ratyā saha manobhavaḥ | jīvāssarve vaśaṃ yātāssagaṇeśaśśivo na hi

Translation

Manobhava (Kāma) unternahm zusammen mit Ratī vielfältige Bemühungen; alle Lebewesen gerieten unter seine Macht—doch Śiva, selbst mitsamt Gaṇeśa, kam keineswegs unter seine Gewalt.

Word by Word

• विविधान्: various
• विविधान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying ‘यत्नान्’

• कृतवान्: having done / having made
• कृतवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्तवतु-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवतु-कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; finite sense with implied ‘अस्ति’

• यत्नान्: efforts
• यत्नान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रत्या: with Rati
• रत्या: Sahakāraka (सह/साकं)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन

• सह: with
• सह: Sambandha/Association (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-निपात (particle meaning ‘with’)

• मनोभवः: Manobhava (Kāma)
• मनोभवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् + भव (प्रातिपदिक); मनोभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मनसः भवः = born of mind); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जीवाः: beings
• जीवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; adjective qualifying ‘जीवाः’

• वशम्: control, subjection
• वशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याताः: gone/come (into)
• याताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; agrees with ‘जीवाः’

• स-गणेशः: (one) with Gaṇeśa
• स-गणेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (सह-भावः: ‘with Gaṇeśa’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; used appositionally

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/हेतु-सूचक निपात (emphatic/indeed)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; climactic doctrinal point: Kāma’s universal sway over jīvas contrasts with Śiva’s absolute freedom (svātantrya) and lordship.

Significance: Soteriological: remembrance that Śiva alone is unconquered by kāma/mala inspires surrender (śaraṇāgati) and pursuit of His grace (anugraha).

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganesha
• Kama (Manobhava)
• Rati

FAQs

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

It teaches that desire (kāma) can bind and govern embodied beings (paśu), but Śiva—the Pati, eternally self-contained and free—is not conquered by passion; this points to the Shaiva ideal of mastery over impulses as a doorway to liberation.

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

Worship of the Liṅga/Saguṇa Śiva centers on approaching the Lord as the transcendent master of the senses—one whose purity is untouched by desire—so the devotee seeks steadiness, inner restraint, and grace rather than sense-driven agitation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with sense-restraint (niyama) and bhasma/Tripuṇḍra remembrance of impermanence, cultivating vairāgya so desire does not rule the mind.