Shloka 56

अत्रीश्वरमाहात्म्यवर्णनम् (Atrīśvara-māhātmya-varṇanam) — “Account of the Greatness of Atrīśvara”

Devanagari script

अत्रीश्वरश्च नाम्नासीदीश्वरः परदुःखहा । गंगा सापि स्थिता तत्र तदा गर्तेथ मायया

Transliteration

atrīśvaraśca nāmnāsīdīśvaraḥ paraduḥkhahā | gaṃgā sāpi sthitā tatra tadā gartetha māyayā

Translation

There was a sacred manifestation of the Lord there, known by the name Atrīśvara, the remover of others’ suffering. The river Gaṅgā too was present there; then, by the Lord’s māyā, she entered a pit at that place.

Word by Word

• atrīśvaraḥ: Atrīśvara (lord of Atrī / named thus)
• atrīśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atrī (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अत्रेः ईश्वरः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• nāmnā: by name
• nāmnā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental: ‘by name/namely’)

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: अस्

• īśvaraḥ: a lord
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समानाधिकरण (apposition to atrīśvaraḥ)

• para-duḥkha-hā: remover of others’ sorrow
• para-duḥkha-hā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + han (धातु)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष: परस्य दुःखं हन्ति इति; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to īśvaraḥ)

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

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

• sthitā: stood/was situated
• sthitā: Kriyā-samānādhikaraṇa (विधेय/अवस्था)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) from √स्था; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• garte: in a pit/hollow
• garte: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (then/now)

• māyayā: by (his) illusion/power
• māyayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Pashupatinatha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The Lord manifests as Atrīśvara (‘Īśvara of Atri’/connected with the Atri-sage tradition) famed as paraduḥkhahā. By Śiva’s māyā, Gaṅgā enters a pit, explaining a local depression/kuṇḍa and the site’s hydrological-sacral feature.

Significance: Bathing/remembering Atrīśvara is presented as alleviating others’ suffering (paraduḥkha-haraṇa), encouraging compassionate merit and tīrtha-sevā.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Gauri

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganga
• Atrishvara

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva as Atrīśvara—Pati (the Lord) who compassionately removes the suffering of beings—while showing how sacred geography (tīrtha) is shaped by divine māyā for the upliftment of devotees.

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

Atrīśvara indicates a localized Saguna manifestation of Shiva associated with a holy site; such manifestations are commonly worshipped through the Linga as the accessible form of the transcendent Lord for devotion and pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Pilgrimage worship is implied: offer water (especially Gaṅgā-jala) to the Shiva-Linga with japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating compassion (paraduḥkha-hara-bhāva) as a devotional discipline.