Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 22
नारदतपोवर्णनम्
Nārada’s Austerities Described
इति शंभूक्तितः कामो मिथ्यात्मगतिकस्तदा । नारदे स जगामाशु दिवमिन्द्रसमीपतः
iti śaṃbhūktitaḥ kāmo mithyātmagatikastadā | nārade sa jagāmāśu divamindrasamīpataḥ
Kaya, sa bisa ng salita ni Śambhu, si Kāma—na ang landas ay mapanlinlang at tila maya—ay agad na lumisan mula kay Nārada at nagtungo sa langit, sa piling ni Indra.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Kāma’s ‘illusory course’ is emphasized as he departs toward Indra’s realm—often read as a warning that desire migrates to receptive domains when checked in a sanctified space.
Significance: Encourages vigilance: kāma is mithyā-gati—deceptive and shifting; devotees cultivate viveka and seek Śiva’s protection to keep the mind from wandering.
FAQs
The verse frames Kāma (desire) as “mithyā”—a deceptive movement that cannot lead to liberation; Śiva’s word redirects the flow of events, implying that only Pati (Śiva) can truly guide beings beyond bondage.
It highlights the supremacy of Śiva’s śakti and command in the cosmic order; in Saguna worship (including Liṅga-upāsanā), the devotee seeks Śiva’s grace to master desire and transcend worldly impulses.
A practical takeaway is desire-discipline through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and cultivating vairāgya, supported by Shaiva observances like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness.