Shloka 33

गिरिजाया तपोऽनुज्ञा

Permission for Girijā’s Austerities

Devanagari script

यत्र स्थित्वा पुरा शंभुस्तप्तवान्दुस्तरं तपः । तत्र क्षणं तु सा स्थित्वा बभूव विरहार्दिता

Transliteration

yatra sthitvā purā śaṃbhustaptavāndustaraṃ tapaḥ | tatra kṣaṇaṃ tu sā sthitvā babhūva virahārditā

Translation

An eben dem Ort, wo Śambhu (Śiva) einst eine schwere, unübertreffliche Askese vollbracht hatte, verweilte sie einen Augenblick—und sogleich wurde sie von der Qual der Trennung von Ihm gepeinigt.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative locative adverb: where)

• स्थित्वा: having stayed
• स्थित्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having stood/stayed’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: formerly)

• शंभुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तप्तवान्: performed (austerity)
• तप्तवान्: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (Perfect active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘one who has performed (austerity)’

• दुस्तरम्: hard to cross/very difficult
• दुस्तरम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तपः इति विशेषण

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: there)

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: कालाधिकरण (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (particle: but/indeed)

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्थित्वा: having stayed
• स्थित्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विरह-आर्दिता: afflicted by separation
• विरह-आर्दिता: विशेषण (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरह (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्दित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, आर्द्/अर्द् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थ (विरहेण आर्दिता = afflicted by separation)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: At the site sanctified by Śiva’s former severe tapas, Pārvatī experiences viraha (separation). The place functions as a memory-field (smṛti-kṣetra) intensifying longing and thereby ripening the seeker for eventual grace.

Significance: Pilgrimage here symbolizes confronting inner lack and transforming it into focused bhakti and tapas—turning tirodhāna (felt absence) into the doorway to anugraha.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It shows how sacred places connected to Śiva’s tapas awaken intense bhakti; Pārvatī’s viraha (loving separation) becomes a purifier that concentrates the mind on Pati (Śiva), turning emotion into spiritual one-pointedness.

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

Remembering the locus of Śiva’s austerity supports Saguna upāsanā—devotion to Śiva as Śambhu with form and qualities—similar to how devotees approach the Liṅga as a living presence and relive His līlā and tapas through darśana and smaraṇa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice smaraṇa (remembrance) at a Śiva-sthāna: mentally recite the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” meditate on Śiva’s tapas, and offer simple worship (water, bilva) to a Liṅga to transform longing into steady japa and dhyāna.