Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 39

कामशापानुग्रहः (Kāmaśāpānugraha) — “The Curse and Grace Concerning Kāma”

Devanagari script

शिव उवाच । अहो ब्रह्मंस्तव कथं कामभावस्समुद्गतः । दृष्ट्वा च तनयां नैव योग्यं वेदानुसारिणाम्

Transliteration

śiva uvāca | aho brahmaṃstava kathaṃ kāmabhāvassamudgataḥ | dṛṣṭvā ca tanayāṃ naiva yogyaṃ vedānusāriṇām

Translation

شِو نے فرمایا—ہائے برہمن! تم میں یہ کام بھاؤ کیسے اُبھرا؟ اپنی ہی بیٹی کو دیکھ کر بھی ایسا خیال وید کے پیروکاروں کے لیے ہرگز مناسب نہیں۔

Word by Word

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Bhāva (भाव/expressive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक अव्यय (interjection)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (priest/sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• कामभावः: state of desire/lust
• कामभावः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kāmasya bhāvaḥ)

• समुद्गतः: has arisen
• समुद्गतः: Kriyā (क्रिया/finite-sense predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having seen’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तनयाम्: (your) daughter
• तनयाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Niyama (नियम/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• योग्यम्: proper/fit
• योग्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• वेदानुसारिणाम्: of those who follow the Vedas
• वेदानुसारिणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/for whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + अनुसारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (vedān anusaranti iti)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; Śiva censures Brahmā’s lapse into kāma, restoring dharma through moral instruction.

Significance: Functions as dharma-upadeśa: warns that kāma is a binding pāśa; Śiva’s correction is grace that reorients even cosmic authorities toward Vedic propriety.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma

FAQs

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

The verse highlights that uncontrolled kāma (desire) becomes a pasha (bondage) even for exalted beings; Shiva, as Pati (the Lord who liberates), upholds dharma and warns that spiritual authority without self-mastery leads to downfall.

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

Saguna Shiva here functions as the moral and spiritual governor of the cosmos, correcting adharma; Linga-worship in Shaiva tradition is tied to inner purification—restraint, humility, and alignment with Vedic-Agamic righteousness.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint) supported by japa of the Panchakshara “Om Namah Shivaya” and a purity discipline (sadachara); the verse implicitly urges cultivating vairagya rather than feeding desire.