Shloka 38

Gaṅgā-Avataraṇa and the Naming of Gaṅgādvāra (गङ्गावतरणम्—गङ्गाद्वारप्रसिद्धिः)

Devanagari script

अद्यप्रभृति भालानि मृल्लिप्तानि भवन्तु वः । स्रसध्वं नरके यूयं भालमृल्लेपनाद्द्विजाः

Transliteration

adyaprabhṛti bhālāni mṛlliptāni bhavantu vaḥ | srasadhvaṃ narake yūyaṃ bhālamṛllepanāddvijāḥ

Translation

“From this day onward, let your foreheads be smeared with clay. O twice-born ones, because of this clay-plastering of the forehead, may you fall into hell.”

Word by Word

• अद्य-प्रभृति: from today onward
• अद्य-प्रभृति: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + प्रभृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययार्थे (from today onwards)

• भालानि: foreheads
• भालानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मृत्-लिप्तानि: smeared with clay
• मृत्-लिप्तानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + लिप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘लिप्त’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (भालानि)

• भवन्तु: let them be
• भवन्तु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वः: of you (your)
• वः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्रसध्वम्: fall down
• स्रसध्वम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्रंस्/स्रस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• भाल-मृत्-लेपनात्: from (because of) smearing clay on the forehead
• भाल-मृत्-लेपनात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाल (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + लेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: ‘भालस्य मृत्-लेपनम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative-sense though form = nominative plural)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a curse/statement within the Kotirudra narrative)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It contrasts Shaiva identity-markers with practices viewed as contrary to Shiva’s injunctions: the verse functions as a warning that abandoning Shiva-aligned dharma (symbolized by proper sacred marks like bhasma/Tripuṇḍra) leads to spiritual downfall.

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

In Linga-oriented (Saguna) Shaiva practice, external observances—especially bhasma and Tripuṇḍra—are treated as devotional disciplines that support inner remembrance of Shiva; the verse criticizes an opposing forehead-mark practice (clay) as a sign of deviation from Shiva’s prescribed mode of worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Implicitly, it points toward wearing Shiva’s sacred ash (bhasma) and Tripuṇḍra rather than clay markings, alongside steady Shiva-smaraṇa and mantra-japa (notably the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as supportive disciplines.