Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

ललाट मध्यगात्तस्मात्सवह्निर्द्रुतसम्भवः । जज्वालोर्द्ध्वशिखो दीप्तः प्रलयाग्निसमप्रभः

Transliteration

lalāṭa madhyagāttasmātsavahnirdrutasambhavaḥ | jajvālorddhvaśikho dīptaḥ pralayāgnisamaprabhaḥ

Translation

Dari tengah dahi Baginda, api pun memancar serta-merta. Menyala dengan lidah api menjulang ke atas, ia bersinar laksana api pralaya, menzahirkan kedahsyatan kehendak ilahi Śiva.

Word by Word

• ललाट: of the forehead
• ललाट: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (contextual: 'of the forehead')

• मध्य-गात्: from (the one) situated in the middle
• मध्य-गात्: Apadana (अपादानम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (√गम्-धातु से क्त/त्-प्रत्ययान्त; here as adjectival stem 'gata')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (past participle sense 'gone/located'); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ललाटस्य मध्यं गतः)

• तस्मात्: from that (place/thing)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• स-वह्निः: that fire
• स-वह्निः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (प्रातिपदिक) + वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सः वह्निः)

• द्रुत-सम्भवः: of swift origin/arising quickly
• द्रुत-सम्भवः: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (द्रुतः सम्भवः यस्य)

• जज्वाल: blazed
• जज्वाल: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ऊर्ध्व-शिखः: with flame rising upward
• ऊर्ध्व-शिखः: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शिख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (ऊर्ध्वा शिखा यस्य)

• दीप्तः: shining/blazing
• दीप्तः: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (√दीप्-धातु से क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• प्रलय-अग्नि-सम-प्रभः: having radiance like the fire of dissolution
• प्रलय-अग्नि-सम-प्रभः: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्रलयाग्निना समा प्रभा यस्य)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; this is the Kāma-dahana context where Śiva’s third-eye fire manifests as a cosmic, pralaya-like flame.

Significance: Meditation on the third eye (jñāna-agni) is taught as burning kāma/avidyā, preparing the paśu for anugraha.

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: pralaya-imagery (dissolution-fire comparison)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It depicts the revelatory power emanating from Śiva’s forehead (the seat of transcendent knowledge), symbolizing the divine force that burns ignorance, karmic bonds (pāśa), and prepares the soul (paśu) for grace under the Lord (Pati) in a Shaiva Siddhanta sense.

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

The blazing fire expresses Saguna Śiva’s active, protective and transformative aspect—worship of the Liṅga trains the devotee to recognize this same conscious power within, where Śiva dissolves impurities and reveals auspiciousness (śivattva).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on the inner ‘fire of awareness’ at the brow-center while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and adopt purification disciplines such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa with devotion, viewing them as aids to burning mala (impurity) and steadying bhakti.