Shloka 19

शिवमायाप्रभाववर्णनम्

Description of the Power/Effects of Śiva’s Māyā

Devanagari script

पावकोऽपि जगच्छ्रेष्ठो मोहितश्शिवमायया । कामाधीनः कृतो गर्वात्ततस्तेनैव चोद्धृतः

Transliteration

pāvako'pi jagacchreṣṭho mohitaśśivamāyayā | kāmādhīnaḥ kṛto garvāttatastenaiva coddhṛtaḥ

Translation

ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಶಕ್ತಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನಾದ ಪಾವಕ (ಅಗ್ನಿ) ಕೂಡ ಶಿವಮಾಯೆಯಿಂದ ಮೋಹಿತನಾದನು. ಗರ್ವದಿಂದ ಕಾಮಾಧೀನನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಲ್ಪಟ್ಟು, ಅದೇ (ಶಿವ) ಶಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಪುನಃ ಉದ್ಧರಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟನು।

Word by Word

• पावकः: Fire (Agni)
• पावकः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• जगत्-श्रेष्ठः: best among the world
• जगत्-श्रेष्ठः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जगत्-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; जगत् + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः श्रेष्ठः)

• मोहितः: deluded
• मोहितः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह् (धातु) → मोहित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त

• शिवमायया: by Śiva’s māyā
• शिवमायया: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-माया (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + माया)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य माया)

• कामाधीनः: subject to desire
• कामाधीनः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-अधीन (प्रातिपदिक; काम + अधीन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कामस्य अधीनः)

• कृतः: was made/became
• कृतः: क्रिया (Predicative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), कर्मणि प्रयोग; (अभूत्/आसीत् इति अध्याहार्य)

• गर्वात्: from pride
• गर्वात्: हेतु/अपादान (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: सम्बन्ध (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverb)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• उद्धृतः: was lifted up/rescued
• उद्धृतः: क्रिया (Predicative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु) → उद्धृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), कर्मणि प्रयोग; (अभूत्/आसीत् इति अध्याहार्य)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages, as typical framing for the Shiva Purana’s discourses)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadashiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Agni (Pavaka)

FAQs

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

It teaches that even exalted cosmic powers can be bound by ego (garva) and desire (kāma) through Śiva’s veiling power (Māyā), and that liberation comes only when the same Lord bestows upliftment—pointing to dependence on Śiva’s grace rather than one’s status.

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

The verse underscores that Saguna Śiva—worshipped as the Liṅga and as the personal Lord (Pati)—governs both bondage and release. Liṅga-bhakti cultivates surrender, dissolving pride and redirecting desire into devotion, making the devotee receptive to Śiva’s anugraha (saving grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a humility-vow, along with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) remembrance that all power and glory are transient—offering desire and ego into Śiva-bhakti rather than letting them rule the mind.