Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 63

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । इत्युक्त्वा सपरीवारो ययौ कामस्स्वमाश्रमम् । प्रणम्य मां स्मरन् शंभुं गर्वदं दीनवत्सलम्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | ityuktvā saparīvāro yayau kāmassvamāśramam | praṇamya māṃ smaran śaṃbhuṃ garvadaṃ dīnavatsalam

Translation

Brahmā sprach: Nachdem er so geredet hatte, zog Kāma, der Gott der Begierde, mitsamt seinem Gefolge zu seinem eigenen Āśrama davon. Er verneigte sich vor mir und gedachte Śambhu—des Zerschmetterers des Hochmuts und des Erbarmers der Demütigen—und ging seines Weges weiter.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: कर्ता (Karta/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Verb/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• स-परिवारः: with attendants
• स-परिवारः: सम्बन्ध (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + परिवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सहार्थक-तत्पुरुष (परिवारसहितः)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: क्रिया (Verb/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कामः: Kāma (Cupid)
• कामः: कर्ता (Karta/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: सम्बन्ध (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• आश्रमम्: hermitage, abode
• आश्रमम्: कर्म (Karma/goal of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (Karma/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्मरन्: remembering
• स्मरन्: कर्ता (Karta/agent, concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शम्भुम्: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुम्: कर्म (Karma/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• गर्वदम्: giver of pride (or: pride-removing, context-dependent)
• गर्वदम्: सम्बन्ध (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्वद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (शम्भुम्)

• दीनवत्सलम्: compassionate to the poor
• दीनवत्सलम्: सम्बन्ध (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्सल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दीनानां वत्सलः) विशेषण (शम्भुम्)

Speaker

Brahma

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: śaṃbhuṃ garvadaṃ dīnavatsalam

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Kama
• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva as the Lord who subdues ego (garva) and protects the humble (dīnavatsala). In Shaiva Siddhanta, surrender and remembrance of the Pati (Śiva) purify the soul (paśu) from pride-bound limitation, making it receptive to grace.

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

Remembering “Śambhu” points to Saguna worship—holding the Lord’s compassionate, ego-dissolving qualities in mind. Such remembrance is classically supported by Linga worship, where the devotee approaches Śiva with humility and seeks inner transformation rather than worldly pride.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple takeaway is smaraṇa and namaskāra: bowing with humility and mentally remembering Śiva’s compassionate form. Practically, this can be paired with Panchākṣarī japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and offering bhasma/Tripuṇḍra as an outward sign of ego-reduction and devotion.