Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 16

वसन्तस्वरूपवर्णनम् — Description of the Form/Nature of Vasant

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Devanagari script

कांताभिलाषमात्रं मे दृष्ट्वा शंभुरगर्हयत् । मुनीनां पुरतः कस्मात्स कांतां संग्रहीष्यति

Transliteration

kāṃtābhilāṣamātraṃ me dṛṣṭvā śaṃbhuragarhayat | munīnāṃ purataḥ kasmātsa kāṃtāṃ saṃgrahīṣyati

Translation

เพียงเห็นร่องรอยความปรารถนาต่อคู่รักในตัวข้าพเจ้า แม้เพียงเล็กน้อย พระศัมภูก็ทรงตำหนิ แล้วต่อหน้าฤๅษีทั้งหลาย พระองค์จะทรงรับคู่ครองได้อย่างไร

Word by Word

• kāntā-abhilāṣa-mātram: mere longing for a beloved
• kāntā-abhilāṣa-mātram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāntā (प्रातिपदिक) + abhilāṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘mere desire for a beloved’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन) (enclitic)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Kṛdanta, Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from √dṛś (दृश्), ‘having seen’

• śaṃbhuḥ: Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• agarhayat: rebuked/censured
• agarhayat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: garh (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), parasmaipada; from √garh (गर्ह्)

• munīnām: of sages
• munīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• purataḥ: in front (of)
• purataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb/postposition of place (पुरतः)

• kasmāt: why / from what reason
• kasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun (प्रश्नवाचक), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• kāntām: a beloved woman
• kāntām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāntā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• saṃgrahīṣyati: will take/accept
• saṃgrahīṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-grah (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), parasmaipada; from √grah (ग्रह्) with prefix sam- (सम्)

Speaker

Sati

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati

FAQs

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

It highlights Śiva’s ideal of inner purity: even a subtle movement of personal desire is corrected, showing that divine union is grounded in dharma and spiritual maturity, not ordinary craving—an emphasis aligned with Shaiva Siddhanta’s stress on purification of the soul (paśu) from bonds (pāśa).

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

Śiva as Saguna (Śambhu) is portrayed as the compassionate teacher who disciplines and elevates the devotee; Linga-worship similarly trains the mind toward steadiness, restraint, and devotion, transforming emotion into sanctified bhakti rather than worldly attachment.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A takeaway is to pair devotion with self-restraint: daily japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with a vow of purity of intention, and meditation on Śiva as the inner witness who corrects subtle desire.