Shloka 39

गौतमस्य शिवदर्शनं पापक्षयवचनं च | Gautama’s Vision of Śiva and the Teaching on Sin and Purification

Devanagari script

गंगा प्रसन्ना तेभ्यश्च गिरिशश्चोचतुस्तदा । वरं ब्रूत सुरश्रेष्ठा दद्वो वः प्रियकाम्यया

Transliteration

gaṃgā prasannā tebhyaśca giriśaścocatustadā | varaṃ brūta suraśreṣṭhā dadvo vaḥ priyakāmyayā

Translation

Then Gaṅgā, pleased with them, and Girīśa (Lord Śiva) said: “O best among the gods, declare your boon. To fulfill what is dear to you, we shall grant it.”

Word by Word

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रसन्ना: pleased
• प्रसन्ना: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of “गङ्गा”

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Abl./Dat. 5th/4th), बहुवचन; here with “उचतुः” = dative “to them”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गिरिशः: Giriśa (Śiva)
• गिरिशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ऊचतुः: the two said
• ऊचतुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन (Dual)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (commonly masculine; form = neuter/masc acc sg), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ब्रूत: speak/ask (you all)
• ब्रूत: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन

• सुरश्रेष्ठाः: O best of gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: “सुराणां श्रेष्ठाः”; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), बहुवचन

• दद्वः: (we two) giving
• दद्वः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-शतृ/वर्तमान-प्रत्यय (present participle, irregular form) used as finite-like: “giving”; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; refers to Gaṅgā and Giriśa

• वः: to you (all)
• वः: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचन; here dative sense “to you”

• प्रियकाम्यया: with the wish to please
• प्रियकाम्यया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय-प्राय): “प्रियं काम्यं यस्याः/यया” → “with desire to please”; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Ganga and Lord Shiva (Girisha)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Boon-bestowal at a Gaṅgā tīrtha: Gaṅgā and Śiva jointly invite the devas to ask a vara, a common prelude to establishing a sacred presence (sthāna) for future pilgrims.

Significance: Frames tīrtha as a locus of prasāda: when Śiva is ‘prasanna’, boons and spiritual welfare (loka-kalyāṇa) become accessible.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Tārā

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights prasāda (grace): when devotion and right approach please Śiva and the sacred Gaṅgā, divine compassion manifests as the granting of a boon—showing Pati (Śiva) responding to the sincere seeker.

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

Girīśa speaking as an accessible, Saguna Lord reflects how devotees approach Śiva through worship (often centered on the Liṅga) and receive tangible blessings, while such boons ultimately support dharma and the path toward liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Seek Śiva’s pleasure through bhakti and purity—Liṅga-pūjā with water/abhisheka (evoking Gaṅgā), japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and a prayerful request aligned with dharma.