Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मदनाविष्टचेताश्च भूत्वांगानि व्यलोकयम् । अहं सत्या द्विजश्रेष्ठ शिवमायाविमोहितः

Transliteration

madanāviṣṭacetāśca bhūtvāṃgāni vyalokayam | ahaṃ satyā dvijaśreṣṭha śivamāyāvimohitaḥ

Translation

Oh el mejor de los brahmanes, yo —Satī— quedé poseída por Kāma (el deseo) y comencé a contemplar mis miembros; así fui confundida por la Māyā del Señor Śiva.

Word by Word

• मदन-आविष्ट-चेताः: (I) whose mind was seized by desire
• मदन-आविष्ट-चेताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदन (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (कृदन्त-क्त, √विश्) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत् प्रयोगः—‘whose mind is possessed by Madana’ (समासरचना तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• अङ्गानि: limbs
• अङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• व्यलोकयम्: I looked at, observed
• व्यलोकयम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक्/लोकय् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सत्याः: of Sati
• सत्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विज-श्रेष्ठ: O best of Brahmins
• द्विज-श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘best of the twice-born’

• शिव-माया-विमोहितः: deluded by Shiva’s illusion
• शिव-माया-विमोहितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक) + विमोहित (कृदन्त-क्त, √मुह्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘deluded by Śiva’s māyā’

Speaker

Sati (narrated within Suta Goswami’s discourse to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati
• Kama (Madana)

FAQs

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

It shows that worldly desire (kāma) can arise and disturb even exalted beings, and that delusion operates through Śiva’s Māyā; liberation in Shaiva Siddhanta comes by turning the mind from desire toward Pati (Śiva) through devotion and discernment.

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

Because Māyā agitates the mind, the Purana points the seeker to Saguna Śiva—worship of the Śiva-liṅga, mantra, and pūjā—as stabilizing supports that purify desire and reorient consciousness toward Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to counter desire with japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), along with simple Śiva-upāsanā such as vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa as aids for restraint and remembrance of Śiva.