Shloka 18

Kāmarūpeśvara’s Trial and Śiva’s Hidden Protection (कামरूपेश्वर-रक्षा-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

भीम उवाच । शंकरस्ते मया ज्ञातः किं करिष्यति वै मम । यो मे पितृव्यकेनैव स्थापितः किंकरो यथा

Transliteration

bhīma uvāca | śaṃkaraste mayā jñātaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati vai mama | yo me pitṛvyakenaiva sthāpitaḥ kiṃkaro yathā

Translation

Bhīma said: “I know well who your Śaṅkara is. What can he truly do to me? For by my own paternal uncle I have been placed under his authority—like a mere servant.”

Word by Word

• भीमः: Bhīma
• भीमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ते: your/of you
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; enclitic genitive ‘of you/your’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental

• ज्ञातः: known/recognized
• ज्ञातः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; predicate ‘known/recognized’

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; interrogative used adverbially

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मम: of me/to me
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; enclitic genitive ‘my’

• पितृव्यकेन: by (my) paternal uncle
• पितृव्यकेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृव्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis

• स्थापितः: appointed/installed
• स्थापितः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) of causative sense ‘to place/appoint’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; qualifies यः

• किंकरः: a servant
• किंकरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; predicate noun

• यथा: like/as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

Speaker

Bhima

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Rudra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shankara
• Bhima

FAQs

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

The verse highlights ahaṅkāra (ego) and spiritual blindness: Bhīma dismisses Śiva’s power, showing how pride makes one deny Pati (the Lord) and misunderstand divine sovereignty—an attitude Shaiva Siddhānta treats as bondage (pāśa).

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

By calling Śaṅkara “your Shiva,” Bhīma reduces the universal Lord to a sectarian or personal deity; the Purāṇic narrative counters this by revealing Śiva as Saguna (approachable via Liṅga worship) yet supreme, not subject to human appointment or insult.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is humility and Śiva-smaraṇa: repeat the Pañcākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with devotion, and adopt Shaiva disciplines such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as reminders to dissolve ego and seek refuge in Śiva.