Shloka 3
शिवाशिवशिवादो ऽभूत्कथं कामक्षयश्च मे । तपः कृत्वा कथम्प्राप शिवं शम्भुं च पार्वती
śivāśivaśivādo 'bhūtkathaṃ kāmakṣayaśca me | tapaḥ kṛtvā kathamprāpa śivaṃ śambhuṃ ca pārvatī
“How did the utterance and contemplation of ‘Śiva—Aśiva—Śiva’ arise? And how, for me, was desire brought to exhaustion? Having performed austerity, how did Pārvatī attain Śiva—Śambhu Himself?”
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya, introducing the account of Pārvatī’s tapas and attainment of Śiva)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadashiva
Jyotirlinga: Tryambakeśvara
Sthala Purana: The verse foregrounds kāma-kṣaya (exhaustion of desire) through tapas and Śiva-smaraṇa; this aligns with the Tryambakeśvara region’s strong association with japa, vairāgya, and the rise of sacred waters (Godāvarī) supporting purification.
Significance: Atonement and purification through japa/tapas; seekers pray for kāma-śamana and steadiness of mind leading to Śiva’s grace.
Mantra: śiva—āśiva—śiva
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: liberating
FAQs
This verse frames Pārvatī’s attainment of Śiva as the fruit of tapas and inner purification—especially the kṣaya (exhaustion) of kāma. In a Śaiva Siddhānta lens, desire-binding (pāśa) weakens through disciplined practice, making the soul fit to receive Śiva’s grace (anugraha).
By asking how Pārvatī ‘attained Śambhu,’ the verse points to Saguna Śiva as approachable through devotion, vrata, and japa. Such practice commonly culminates in worship of Śiva in tangible forms—especially the Liṅga—where the devotee’s mind becomes steady and receptive to the Lord’s presence.
The verse emphasizes tapas—practical discipline such as vrata, mantra-japa (including Śiva-nāma and the Pañcākṣarī), and sustained meditation to reduce kāma. A traditional takeaway is steady Śiva-japa with purity disciplines (often paired with bhasma/Tripuṇḍra and Rudrākṣa in Śaiva practice).