Shloka 42

कामशापानुग्रहः (Kāmaśāpānugraha) — “The Curse and Grace Concerning Kāma”

Devanagari script

धैर्ये जागरितं ब्रह्मन्मनस्ते चतुरानन । कथं क्षुद्रेण कामेन रंतुं विगटितं विधे

Transliteration

dhairye jāgaritaṃ brahmanmanaste caturānana | kathaṃ kṣudreṇa kāmena raṃtuṃ vigaṭitaṃ vidhe

Translation

O Brahmā, O four-faced one—your mind is awakened and steady in fortitude. How, then, O Ordainer, has it become loosened to seek delight in a petty desire?

Word by Word

• dhairye: in steadiness; in fortitude
• dhairye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhairya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• jāgaritam: awakened; vigilant
• jāgaritam: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-सामानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāgṛ (धातु) → jāgarita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP), Neuter (नपुंसक), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with ‘manaḥ’

• brahman: O Brahman (Brahmā)
• brahman: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुं), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसक), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• catur-ānana: O four-faced one
• catur-ānana: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) ‘having four faces’; Masculine (पुं), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• katham: how?
• katham: Prayojaka (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्न-अव्यय)

• kṣudreṇa: by petty; by paltry
• kṣudreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies ‘kāmena’

• kāmena: by desire; by lust
• kāmena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुं), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• raṃtum: to enjoy; to sport
• raṃtum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Infinitive purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ram (धातु) → raṃtum (कृदन्त, तुमुन्/infinitive)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), expressing purpose/ability; ‘to sport/enjoy’

• vigaṭitam: loosened; unsettled; broken open
• vigaṭitam: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-सामानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + gaṭ (धातु) → vigaṭita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP), Neuter (नपुंसक), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; agrees with ‘manaḥ’ (implied: ‘manaḥ ... vigaṭitam’)

• vidhe: O Creator
• vidhe: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhātr̥/vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुं), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sati (addressing Brahma)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; the verse deepens the ethical-psychological diagnosis: even a mind ‘awake in fortitude’ can be loosened by petty kāma—classic depiction of bondage (pāśa) overpowering dhairya when concealment (tirodhāna) prevails.

Significance: Instruction for sādhakas: cultivate dhairya and vigilance; recognize subtle lapses as openings for kāma; reinforces the need for continual sādhana and Śiva’s grace.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

It warns that even a lofty, awakened intellect can slip if it yields to kṣudra-kāma (petty desire). From a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, desire functions as a pasha (bond) that disturbs steadiness (dhairya) and turns the mind away from Shiva-oriented discernment.

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

Linga/Saguna-Shiva worship trains the mind to rest in the sacred rather than chase fleeting pleasures. The verse contrasts awakened composure with indulgence, implying that devotion and reverence for Shiva stabilize consciousness and reduce the pull of kama.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa with the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and daily cultivation of restraint (niyama). As supportive Shaiva aids, wearing rudraksha and applying tripuṇḍra-bhasma can serve as continual reminders to keep the mind steady and not “loosen” into lesser desires.