Shloka 20

कामभस्म-प्रार्थना: रत्याः शङ्करं प्रति विनयः / Rati’s Supplication to Śaṅkara regarding Kāma’s Ashes

Devanagari script

काम उवाच । देवदेव महादेव करुणासागर प्रभो । यदि प्रसन्नस्सर्वेशः ममानन्दकरो भव

Transliteration

kāma uvāca | devadeva mahādeva karuṇāsāgara prabho | yadi prasannassarveśaḥ mamānandakaro bhava

Translation

കാമൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ദേവദേവ മഹാദേവാ, കരുണാസാഗരനായ പ്രഭോ! സർവേശ്വരനായ നിങ്ങൾ പ്രസന്നനാകുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, എനിക്ക് ആനന്ദദായകനാകണമേ।

Word by Word

• कामः: Kāma
• कामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देव-देव: O god of gods
• देव-देव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—देवानां देवः

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• करुणा-सागर: O ocean of compassion
• करुणा-सागर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुणा (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—करुणायाः सागरः

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• प्रसन्नः: pleased
• प्रसन्नः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘सर्वेशः’)

• सर्वेशः: the Lord of all
• सर्वेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—सर्वेषाम् ईशः

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आनन्द-करः: giver of joy
• आनन्द-करः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—आनन्दं करोति इति

• भव: be (become)
• भव: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Kama (Kamadeva)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva as Sarveśa and Karuṇāsāgara: when the soul (pashu) seeks His grace with humility, true auspiciousness and joy arise through the Lord’s prasāda rather than through mere personal power.

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

Kāma addresses Śiva in personal, devotional terms (Saguna)—as Mahādeva and Prabhu—showing that worship is fundamentally a relationship of surrender and seeking grace, which is the inner spirit of Liṅga-upāsanā in the Purāṇa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is prayerful surrender (śaraṇāgati) and repeated remembrance of Śiva’s compassionate nature; one may support this with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while contemplating Śiva as Sarveśa who grants ānanda through grace.