Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 59
कामप्रभावः (कामा॑स्य प्रभाववर्णनम्) — The Power of Kāma and the (Ineffective) Attempt to Delude Śiva
कामः प्रोवाच मां तात प्रणम्य च निरुत्सवः । स्थित्वा मम पुरोऽगर्वो मारैश्च मधुना तदा
kāmaḥ provāca māṃ tāta praṇamya ca nirutsavaḥ | sthitvā mama puro'garvo māraiśca madhunā tadā
Dann sprach Kāma, niedergeschlagen und ohne jede Festfreude, nachdem er sich vor mir verneigt hatte: Er stand damals vor mir ohne Hochmut, zusammen mit den Maruts und mit Madhu.
The narrator (Sūta Gosvāmin) conveying the episode; the direct speaker in the verse is Kāma
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahadeva
FAQs
It highlights that even powerful cosmic forces like Kāma must abandon pride and approach with humility—an essential Shaiva teaching that ego and restless desire are purified through reverence and surrender to the higher divine order centered on Shiva.
The mood of standing “without arrogance” models the inner posture required in Saguna Shiva worship—approaching the Linga with reverence, self-restraint, and devotion rather than worldly pride or impulsive desire.
A practical takeaway is humble pranāma and mental offering before Shiva—supported by japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to calm kāma (desire) and cultivate steady bhakti.