Shloka 17

गिरिजाया तपोऽनुज्ञा

Permission for Girijā’s Austerities

Devanagari script

पार्वत्युवाच । मातस्तप्तुं गमिष्यामि प्रातः प्राप्तुं महेश्वरम् । अनुजानीहि मां गंतुं तपसेऽद्य तपोवनम्

Transliteration

pārvatyuvāca | mātastaptuṃ gamiṣyāmi prātaḥ prāptuṃ maheśvaram | anujānīhi māṃ gaṃtuṃ tapase'dya tapovanam

Translation

Pārvatī said: “Mother, I shall go to perform sacred austerity, so that by morning I may attain Maheśvara. Grant me leave to depart today for the forest of penance, to undertake tapas.”

Word by Word

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मातः: O mother
• मातः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तप्तुम्: to perform austerity
• तप्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive/तुमन्त), क्रियार्थक

• गमिष्यामि: I will go
• गमिष्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्राप्तुम्: to attain/meet
• प्राप्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive/तुमन्त)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक: महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अनुजानीहि: permit (me)
• अनुजानीहि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive/तुमन्त)

• तपसे: for austerity
• तपसे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तपोवनम्: the forest of austerities (penance-grove)
• तपोवनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोवन (प्रातिपदिक: तपस् + वन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Pārvatī

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Paradigm of tapas leading to Śiva-darśana; inspires pilgrims to undertake vrata/tapas with steadiness.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Parvati
• Maheshvara (Shiva)

FAQs

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

This verse highlights Pārvatī’s deliberate choice of tapas (disciplined spiritual striving) to attain Maheśvara, showing that sincere effort joined with purity of intention becomes a vessel for Śiva’s grace—an essential Shaiva Siddhānta theme where effort and divine anugraha work together.

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

Pārvatī seeks Maheśvara as the personal Lord (Saguna Śiva), approached through vow, restraint, and single-pointed devotion. Such inner worship naturally culminates in outward worship as well—like Linga-pūjā—because tapas purifies the devotee to recognize Śiva’s presence in the sacred emblem and in all beings.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse primarily suggests tapas as a structured sādhana: adopting vows (vrata), maintaining purity and restraint, and steady contemplation of Śiva. Practically, this can be paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and meditative remembrance of Maheśvara while living simply like in a tapovana.