Shloka 34

कामप्रहारः — The Subduing of Kāma (Desire) / Kāma’s Assault and Its Futility

Devanagari script

संहारं कर्तुकामोऽसि क्रोधेनानेन शंकर । दैवतैस्सह सर्वेषां हतवांस्तं यदि स्मरम्

Transliteration

saṃhāraṃ kartukāmo'si krodhenānena śaṃkara | daivataissaha sarveṣāṃ hatavāṃstaṃ yadi smaram

Translation

હે શંકર! આ ક્રોધમાં તમે સંહાર કરવા ઇચ્છુક જણાય છો. જો તમે સ્મર (કામ)ને સ્મર્યા હોત, તો તમે તેને જ નહીં, દેવતાઓ સહિત સર્વને પણ સંહાર્યા હોત.

Word by Word

• संहारम्: destruction
• संहारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कर्तु-कामः: desirous to do
• कर्तु-कामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृत्) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (कर्तुं कामः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषण (of त्वम् implied)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present; 2nd person, Singular

• क्रोधेन: with anger
• क्रोधेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental, Singular; deictic pronoun

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दैवतैः: with the deities
• दैवतैः: Saha (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (collective), तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Saha (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (postposition meaning 'with')

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हतवान्: (you) have slain
• हतवान्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्तवतुँ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (क्तवतुँ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Perfective active participle; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; (you) having slain

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• स्मरम्: Kāma (Smara)
• स्मरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

Pārvatī (addressing Lord Śiva/Śaṅkara)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati
• Kama (Smara)
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva’s power of saṃhāra (dissolution) and warns that uncontrolled krodha can become all-consuming; Pārvatī’s counsel reflects the Shaiva Siddhānta ideal that divine power is guided by grace and right purpose, not mere impulse.

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

As Saguna Śiva (Śaṅkara), the Lord is approachable in form and relationship—here as the householder with Pārvatī—showing that even the dissolver acts with restraint; Linga worship similarly trains devotees to surrender passions (kāma, krodha) into Śiva’s transforming fire.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with inner offering of anger and desire into Śiva; on Mahāśivarātri, combining mantra-japa with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa dhāraṇa is traditionally recommended for steadiness of mind.