Shloka 12

हिमाचलविवाहवर्णनम् — Description of Himācala’s

context for) Marriage / The Himālaya-Marriage Narrative (Chapter Opening

Devanagari script

धन्या हि मेनका देवी यस्यां जाता सुता सती । अतो मान्या च धन्या च सर्वेषां सा पतिव्रता

Transliteration

dhanyā hi menakā devī yasyāṃ jātā sutā satī | ato mānyā ca dhanyā ca sarveṣāṃ sā pativratā

Translation

Blessed indeed is the goddess Menakā, in whom the daughter Satī was born. Therefore she is honored and truly fortunate by all, for she is a devoted wife (pativratā).

Word by Word

• धन्या: fortunate/blessed
• धन्या: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), causal/emphatic

• मेनका: Menakā
• मेनका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: menakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); apposition

• यस्याम्: in whom/in which (woman)
• यस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun (यद्), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• जाता: was born
• जाता: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with ‘sutā’

• सुता: daughter
• सुता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• सती: Satī
• सती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); proper name/apposition to ‘sutā’

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu/Logical connector (हेतु-निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय) meaning ‘therefore/from that’

• मान्या: worthy of honor
• मान्या: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective of ‘sā’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• धन्या: fortunate
• धन्या: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective of ‘sā’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• पति-व्रता: devoted to her husband
• पति-व्रता: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + vratā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: ‘patau vratā’/‘patiṃ prati vratā’ = devoted to husband

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; it praises Menakā’s blessedness as the mother of Satī/Pārvatī, foregrounding the household dharma that supports the advent of Śiva’s consort.

Significance: Affirms sanctity of pativratā-dharma and maternal auspiciousness as supportive conditions for divine descent and devotional life.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Menaka
• Sati

FAQs

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

The verse honors Menakā as “blessed” because Satī—Śiva’s divine Śakti—manifests through her, teaching that proximity to Śiva’s grace (Śakti’s advent) sanctifies family life and makes righteous conduct worthy of reverence.

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

Satī is the personal (saguṇa) expression of Śiva’s power; praising her advent supports devotion to saguṇa Śiva and Śakti, which in the Purāṇic path naturally leads devotees to Linga-worship as the central, accessible form of Śiva-bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is to cultivate steadfast devotion and purity of vows; devotees may reinforce this with daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and respectful observance of household dharma as an offering to Śiva and Śakti.