Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 37

गणेश-षण्मुखयोः विवाहविचारः / Deliberation on the Marriages of Gaṇeśa and Ṣaṇmukha

Devanagari script

गणेश उवाच । भवतोः पूजनं कृत्वा शिवाशंकरयोरहम् । स्वबुद्ध्या हि समुद्रान्तपृध्वीकृतपरिक्रमः

Transliteration

gaṇeśa uvāca | bhavatoḥ pūjanaṃ kṛtvā śivāśaṃkarayoraham | svabuddhyā hi samudrāntapṛdhvīkṛtaparikramaḥ

Translation

Gaṇeśa sprach: „Nachdem ich euch beide verehrt habe—Śivā und Śaṅkara—habe ich aus eigener Einsicht die Pradakṣiṇā vollendet: die Umrundung der ganzen Erde bis zum sie umschließenden Ozean.“

Word by Word

• gaṇeśaḥ: Gaṇeśa
• gaṇeśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• bhavatoḥ: of you two
• bhavatoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun-like honorific (भवत्-शब्द), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Dual (द्विवचन)

• pūjanam: worship
• pūjanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal form; ‘having done’

• śiva-śaṅkarayoḥ: of Śiva and Śaṅkara
• śiva-śaṅkarayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvandva (द्वन्द्व) compound; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Dual (द्विवचन)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (अस्मद्), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• sva-buddhyā: by (my) own understanding
• sva-buddhyā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis/indeed

• samudra-anta-pṛthvī-kṛta-parikramaḥ: one whose circumambulation has been made (as) the earth bounded by the ocean
• samudra-anta-pṛthvī-kṛta-parikramaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛthvī (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त) + parikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) compound; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying ‘aham’

Speaker

Gaṇeśa

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Ganesha
• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It teaches that true pilgrimage and merit arise from worship of Śiva together with Śivā (Śakti), and that right discernment (buddhi) can fulfill the essence of outward rites—turning devotion into an inner, complete pradakṣiṇā.

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

Gaṇeśa highlights Saguna worship—reverencing Śiva with Śakti—as spiritually decisive. In Śaiva practice, circumambulation of the Liṅga or the Divine Couple represents keeping the Supreme (Pati) at the center; the verse affirms that this centered worship embodies the fruit of all pilgrimages.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform pūjā to Śiva-Śivā and do pradakṣiṇā with focused buddhi—mentally placing the Lord at the center. As a takeaway, one may combine circumambulation with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to internalize the rite.