Shloka 36

गिरिजाया तपोऽनुज्ञा

Permission for Girijā’s Austerities

Devanagari script

तपश्चकार सा तत्र शृंगितीर्थे महोत्तमे । गौरीशिखर नामासीत्तत्तपःकरणाद्धि तत्

Transliteration

tapaścakāra sā tatra śṛṃgitīrthe mahottame | gaurīśikhara nāmāsīttattapaḥkaraṇāddhi tat

Translation

There, at the supremely sacred Śṛṅgī-tīrtha, she undertook austerities (tapas). By the power of that tapas, that peak came to be known as “Gaurī-Śikhara.”

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• चकार: did, performed
• चकार: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• शृंगि-तीर्थे: at Śṛṅgi-tīrtha
• शृंगि-तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृंगि + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शृंगिणः तीर्थम्)

• महा-उत्तमे: in the very excellent (place)
• महा-उत्तमे: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थे)

• गौरी-शिखर: (it) ‘Gaurī-peak’
• गौरी-शिखर: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी + शिखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper name); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गौर्याः शिखरम्)

• नाम: name; called
• नाम: Prātipadika-predicative (संज्ञा/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नामार्थे (as ‘named’)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that (place)
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपः-करणात्: from (the act of) performing penance
• तपः-करणात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः करणम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Etiological naming: Devī performs tapas at Śṛṅgī-tīrtha; by that tapas the summit becomes famed as ‘Gaurī-Śikhara’.

Significance: A tapas-sthala where remembrance of Devī’s austerity inspires endurance and purity for Śiva-bhakti.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Gaurī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Parvati
• Gauri

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere tapas undertaken for Śiva is spiritually transformative: it sanctifies the practitioner and even consecrates the land, turning a place into a recognized tīrtha and a support for liberation-oriented devotion.

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

Pārvatī’s tapas is directed toward attaining union with Lord Śiva (Saguna Śiva as the personal Lord). Such devotion matures into steadiness of mind and purity, which Shaiva tradition treats as the inner foundation for outward worship—especially Linga-pūjā performed with single-pointed bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse highlights tapas as disciplined practice—vows, restraint, and sustained japa/dhyāna. A practical Shaiva takeaway is daily mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with purity and perseverance, ideally in a tīrtha-like sacred space.