Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 16
हिरण्यनेत्रस्य तपः — Hiraṇyanetra’s Austerity and the Boon
कायेन वाचा मनसाप्यगम्या नारी नृलोकस्य च दुर्लभाय । तां कामयानस्य ममास्तु नाशो दैत्येन्द्रभावाद्भगवान्स्वयंभूः
kāyena vācā manasāpyagamyā nārī nṛlokasya ca durlabhāya | tāṃ kāmayānasya mamāstu nāśo daityendrabhāvādbhagavānsvayaṃbhūḥ
That woman—unattainable by body, by speech, or even by mind, and exceedingly rare in the human world—if I, driven by desire for her, must meet destruction, then let the self-born Lord (Svayambhū) Himself bring about my ruin, even if it be through my becoming the lord of the Daityas.
A daitya/āsura leader (the demon-king figure speaking in the Yuddhakhaṇḍa narrative, as recounted by Sūta)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
FAQs
It shows how kama (desire) and asuric pride can overpower discernment, leading one to accept even ruin; in Shaiva terms, such desire becomes a pāśa (bond) that drags the soul away from Shiva-oriented dharma.
By contrast: the verse depicts mind-bound craving, while Linga/Saguna-Shiva worship trains body, speech, and mind to turn from craving to bhakti—redirecting the same inner force toward Shiva rather than toward possessive desire.
A practical takeaway is japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with restraint of senses, coupled with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and rudrākṣa as reminders to purify desire into devotion.