Shloka 9

नारदतपोवर्णनम्

Nārada’s Austerities Described

Devanagari script

अथागतं स्मरं दृष्ट्वा संबोध्य सुरराट् प्रभुः । उवाच तं प्रपश्याशु स्वार्थे कुटिलशेमुषिः

Transliteration

athāgataṃ smaraṃ dṛṣṭvā saṃbodhya surarāṭ prabhuḥ | uvāca taṃ prapaśyāśu svārthe kuṭilaśemuṣiḥ

Translation

Then, seeing Kāma (Smara) arrive, the sovereign lord of the gods addressed him and said at once—he whose mind was crafty in pursuit of his own purpose.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Kāla/Anantara (काल/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: मङ्गल/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय; ‘then/now’

• āgatam: arrived
• āgatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā+gam (गम्, धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; agrees with smaram

• smaram: Smara (Kāma)
• smaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having seen’

• saṃbodhya: having addressed
• saṃbodhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam+budh (बुध्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having addressed/awakened (by calling)’

• sura-rāṭ: king of the gods
• sura-rāṭ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां राट्/राजा)

• prabhuḥ: the lord
• prabhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (apposition to surarāṭ)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘said’

• tam: to him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• prapaśya: look/see
• prapaśya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+dṛś (दृश्, धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative) मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन in sense; but form here is imperative base ‘prapaśya’ (2nd sg. impv. parasmaipada)

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: शीघ्रार्थक-अव्यय; adverb

• sva-arthe: in (his) own interest
• sva-arthe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative singular; तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य अर्थे)

• kuṭila-śemuṣiḥ: one of crooked intellect
• kuṭila-śemuṣiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kuṭila (प्रातिपदिक) + śemuṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; कर्मधारयः (कुटिला शेमुषी यस्य) used as epithet

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the episode; within the narrative, Indra speaks to Smara)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Smara (Kāma)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights how desire (Smara/Kāma) can be recruited by worldly powers for self-interest; in Shaiva Siddhānta, such self-serving impulse is a form of bondage (pāśa) that veils the soul’s clarity and turns the mind toward manipulation rather than truth.

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

By contrasting the devas’ political motives with the deeper aim of liberation, the narrative implicitly points devotees toward Saguna Shiva worship (Linga-upāsanā) as a purifying discipline—redirecting the mind from kama-driven ends to devotion, surrender, and inner steadiness.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to counter desire-driven restlessness through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with a calm mind, supported by simple Shaiva disciplines like applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and maintaining restraint (saṃyama).