Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 29

कामप्रादुर्भावः — The Manifestation/Arising of Kāma

Devanagari script

कांतः कटाक्षपातेन भ्रामयन्नयनद्वयम् । सुगंधिमारुतो तात शृंगाररससेवितः

Transliteration

kāṃtaḥ kaṭākṣapātena bhrāmayannayanadvayam | sugaṃdhimāruto tāta śṛṃgārarasasevitaḥ

Translation

Hỡi người thương, mùa xuân như kẻ tình nhân khiến đôi mắt chao đảo bằng cái liếc nghiêng. Làn gió thơm, thấm đượm śṛṅgāra-rasa—vị tình ái—khuấy động lòng hướng về khoái lạc thế gian, và bởi sức hấp dẫn ấy mà trói buộc linh hồn mang thân xác.

Word by Word

• कान्तः: the beloved; handsome one
• कान्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कटाक्ष-पातेन: by a sidelong glance (cast)
• कटाक्ष-पातेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कटाक्षस्य पातः = a cast of the sidelong glance)

• भ्रामयन्: causing to whirl; making (it) move
• भ्रामयन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative) ‘causing to whirl’

• नयन-द्वयम्: the pair of eyes
• नयन-द्वयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वे नयने)

• सुगन्धि-मारुतः: the fragrant breeze
• सुगन्धि-मारुतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुगन्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सुगन्धिः मारुतः)

• तात: O dear; O father
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• शृङ्गार-रस-सेवितः: imbued with the rasa of love/erotic sentiment
• शृङ्गार-रस-सेवितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शृङ्गार (प्रातिपदिक) + रस (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शृङ्गाररसैः सेवितः = attended/imbued with erotic sentiment)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya, within the Sati Khanda’s description of worldly enchantment)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati

FAQs

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

It portrays how māyā works through beauty, fragrance, and emotion (śṛṅgāra-rasa) to agitate the senses and bind the jīva; Shaiva Siddhanta reads this as a reminder to turn attention from sensory fascination toward devotion to Pati (Shiva), the liberator.

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

By highlighting sense-delusion, it implicitly points to the remedy: steadying the mind through Saguna Shiva worship—Linga-darśana, pūjā, and remembrance—so the same eyes that “whirl” after objects become fixed in Shiva-dhyāna.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice sense-restraint with Shiva-japa (especially the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and support it with daily Linga-pūjā; applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and wearing Rudrākṣa are traditional Shaiva aids for stabilizing the mind against passion.