Shloka 41

पार्वत्याः तपः—हिमालयादिभिः उपदेशः / Pārvatī’s Austerity and Counsel from Himālaya and Others

Devanagari script

शिवं पुराणं पुरुषमधीशं वरेण्यरूपं हि परं पुराणम् । तपोजुषाणां परमात्मरूपं परात्परं तं शरणं व्रजामः

Transliteration

śivaṃ purāṇaṃ puruṣamadhīśaṃ vareṇyarūpaṃ hi paraṃ purāṇam | tapojuṣāṇāṃ paramātmarūpaṃ parātparaṃ taṃ śaraṇaṃ vrajāmaḥ

Translation

We take refuge in that Supreme Śiva—ancient beyond all, the sovereign Lord, of the most excellent form; the very essence of the highest Purāṇa; the form of the Supreme Self for those who delight in tapas; the Transcendent who is beyond even the beyond.

Word by Word

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पुराणम्: ancient
• पुराणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण (शिवम्) ‘ancient’

• पुरुषम्: the Person
• पुरुषम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन to शिवम्

• अधीशम्: the supreme lord
• अधीशम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘supreme lord’ (qualifying पुरुषम्/शिवम्)

• वरेण्यरूपम्: of most excellent form
• वरेण्यरूपम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरेण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; समास: वरेण्यं रूपं यस्य/वरेण्यं रूपम् (तत्पुरुष) ‘of excellent form’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic/indeed)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण (शिवम्) ‘supreme’

• पुराणम्: primeval
• पुराणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-विशेषण ‘ancient/primeval’

• तपोजुषाणाम्: of the austerity-practisers
• तपोजुषाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + जुष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्राय), ‘जुषाण’ = enjoying/practising; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समास: तपः जुषाणाः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष) ‘of those practising austerity’

• परमात्मरूपम्: having the form of the Supreme Self
• परमात्मरूपम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; समास: परमात्मनः रूपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘having the form of the Supreme Self’

• परात्: beyond (than)
• परात्: Apadana (अपादान/Ablative of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘from the beyond/superior’ (in comparison)

• परम्: the highest
• परम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; with परात् → ‘beyond the beyond’ (comparative idiom)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘him’ (Śiva)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘as refuge’

• व्रजामः: we go / we take (refuge)
• व्रजामः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya within the Rudrasaṃhitā context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: A refuge-stotra identifying Śiva as the primordial Supreme Person and Paramātman, ‘beyond the beyond’; functions like a generalized māhātmya of Śiva rather than a site-specific jyotirliṅga legend.

Significance: Soteriological: śaraṇāgati to Parātpara Śiva is presented as the highest protection and auspicious end; especially resonant for tapasvins and seekers of mokṣa.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: śivaṃ purāṇaṃ puruṣamadhīśaṃ vარეṇyarūpaṃ hi paraṃ purāṇam | tapojuṣāṇāṃ paramātmarūpaṃ parātparaṃ taṃ śaraṇaṃ vrajāmaḥ

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Implicit transcendence over kalpa/pralaya via ‘purāṇa’ and ‘parātpara’ epithets

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It is a śaraṇāgati (surrender) verse: the seeker turns to Śiva as Adhīśa (sovereign Lord) and Paramātmā, affirming Him as both supremely immanent to tapasvīs and utterly transcendent (parātpara), the giver of liberation.

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

By praising Śiva as “vareṇyarūpa” (most worship-worthy form) while also calling Him “parātpara,” the verse supports Saguna worship—such as Linga-pūjā—as a valid doorway to realize the same Supreme Reality who transcends form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse highlights tapas and refuge: practice disciplined worship with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), steady meditation on Śiva as Paramātmā, and a life of restraint and devotion as the core takeaway.