Shloka 47

गिरिजातपः-परीक्षा तथा सप्तर्षि-आह्वानम्

Girijā’s Austerity-Test and the Summoning of the Seven Sages

Devanagari script

स धूर्तस्तव विज्ञानं विनाश्य निजमायया । मोहयामास सद्युक्त्या कारयामास वै तपः

Transliteration

sa dhūrtastava vijñānaṃ vināśya nijamāyayā | mohayāmāsa sadyuktyā kārayāmāsa vai tapaḥ

Translation

Jener Listige brachte durch seine eigene Māyā dein Unterscheidungsvermögen ins Wanken; mit verführerischer Begründung verwirrte er dich und ließ dich wahrlich Tapas, die Askese, auf dich nehmen.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• dhūrtaḥ: rogue/deceiver
• dhūrtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūrta (धूर्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to ‘saḥ’

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vijñānam: knowledge/understanding
• vijñānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijñāna (विज्ञान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vināśya: having destroyed
• vināśya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (नश् धातु) with prefix vi- (वि)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त), ‘having destroyed/ruined’

• nija-māyayā: by (his) own illusion
• nija-māyayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nija-māyā (निज + माया प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya: ‘nijā māyā’; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• mohayāmāsa: deluded/bewildered
• mohayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muh (मुह् धातु) causative (णिच्)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्, aorist/perfective past in narrative), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); causative meaning ‘caused to be deluded’

• sad-yuktyā: by a plausible/clever argument
• sad-yuktyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat-yukti (सत् + युक्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya: ‘sā yuktiḥ yā satī’; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kārayāmāsa: made (her) perform
• kārayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) causative (णिच्)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); causative ‘made (someone) do’

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis/assurance

• tapaḥ: austerity/penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (तपस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages, reporting the episode concerning Pārvatī)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Parvati
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights how māyā can cloud even sincere understanding, and how spiritual resolve is tested through persuasive distractions; steadfast tapas becomes a means to purify intention and restore right discernment toward Śiva.

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

The verse frames tapas as a discipline that stabilizes the mind against delusion, preparing the devotee for focused saguna worship—such as dhyāna and pūjā of Śiva/Śivaliṅga—where devotion becomes steady and undistracted.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is disciplined tapas with clear intention—supported by japa (especially pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and purity practices like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and restrained living—to prevent the mind from being led by misleading arguments.