Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 38

कामप्रभावः (कामा॑स्य प्रभाववर्णनम्) — The Power of Kāma and the (Ineffective) Attempt to Delude Śiva

Devanagari script

काम उवाच । हे ब्रह्मन् हे प्रजानाथ सर्वसृष्टिप्रवर्तक । उत्पन्नाः क इमे वीरा विकराला भयंकराः

Transliteration

kāma uvāca | he brahman he prajānātha sarvasṛṣṭipravartaka | utpannāḥ ka ime vīrā vikarālā bhayaṃkarāḥ

Translation

迦摩说道：“噢，梵天啊，众生之主啊，万有创造之发动者啊——这些新起的勇士是谁？形貌何其狰狞，令人战栗！”

Word by Word

• kāmaḥ: Kāma
• kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• he: O
• he: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: he (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधनसूचक (vocative particle)

• brahman: O Brahmā
• brahman: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• he: O
• he: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: he (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधनसूचक

• prajā-nātha: O lord of creatures
• prajā-nātha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'lord of creatures'

• sarva-sṛṣṭi-pravartaka: O initiator of all creation
• sarva-sṛṣṭi-pravartaka: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + pravartaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'promoter/initiator of all creation'

• utpannāḥ: born/arisen
• utpannāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ut-√pad (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'arisen/born' (agreeing with 'ime vīrāḥ')

• ke: who (are)
• ke: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• ime: these
• ime: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• vīrāḥ: heroes/warriors
• vīrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• vikarālāḥ: terrifying
• vikarālāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikarāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण of 'vīrāḥ'

• bhayaṃkarāḥ: fearsome
• bhayaṃkarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhayaṃ-kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'fear-causing'; विशेषण of 'vīrāḥ'

Speaker

Kāma (Manmatha)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Kāma

FAQs

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

The verse highlights kāma (desire) confronting a power it cannot comprehend—signals that divine order (under Śiva’s sovereignty) can manifest awe-inspiring forces that humble ego and passion, urging the seeker to restrain desire and seek higher truth.

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

Though Śiva is not named in the shloka, the Sati Khanda context points to Śiva’s saguna governance of cosmic functions: devotees approach the Liṅga as the accessible form of the Supreme who subdues disruptive impulses (like kāma) and protects dharma through divine manifestations.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is sense-restraint with mantra-japa—especially pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—to master kāma; pairing japa with vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and śiva-bhakti supports steadiness when fear or agitation arises.