Shloka 16

नारदमोहवर्णनम् — Description of Nārada’s Delusion

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तो मुनिशार्दूलस्तामिच्छुः कामविह्वलः । समाभाष्य स राजानं नारदो वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

ityukto muniśārdūlastāmicchuḥ kāmavihvalaḥ | samābhāṣya sa rājānaṃ nārado vākyamabravīt

Translation

Thus addressed, Nārada—the tiger among sages—yearning for her and shaken by desire, spoke to the king after courteously conversing with him.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/उद्धरण-चिह्नम् (quotative particle)

• उक्तः: having been addressed/said to
• उक्तः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मुनिशार्दूलः: tiger among sages (great sage)
• मुनिशार्दूलः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + śārdūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनिषु शार्दूलः)

• ताम्: her/that (woman)
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• इच्छुः: desiring
• इच्छुः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣ (धातु) + u (उणादि/कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (इच्छु = desiring); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• कामविह्वलः: agitated by desire
• कामविह्वलः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + vihvala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (कामेन विह्वलः / कामस्य विह्वलः)

• समाभाष्य: having spoken to
• समाभाष्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-bhāṣ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव-कृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive); ‘having addressed’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• King (unnamed in this verse)

FAQs

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

It highlights how even a great sage can be stirred by kāma, and sets up the teaching that desire becomes auspicious when guided toward dharma and ultimately redirected into devotion to Pati (Lord Shiva), the liberator of bound souls.

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

Though the verse is narrative, it prepares the ground for counsel that typically culminates in taking refuge in Saguna Shiva—often through Linga-upāsanā—so that restless emotions are steadied by bhakti and right understanding.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to pacify agitation of mind through Shiva-japa—especially the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya)—along with sattvic discipline; if practiced devotionally, it helps transform desire into focused worship.