Shloka 36

गणसमागमः (Śiva Summons the Gaṇas for the Great Festival)

Devanagari script

प्रेतासनसमारूढा सर्पाभरणभूषिता । पूर्णं कलशमादाय हैमं मूर्ध्नि महाप्रभम्

Transliteration

pretāsanasamārūḍhā sarpābharaṇabhūṣitā | pūrṇaṃ kalaśamādāya haimaṃ mūrdhni mahāprabham

Translation

Mounted upon a seat of spirits and adorned with serpent-ornaments, she lifted a brimming pot and set that splendid golden vessel upon her head.

Word by Word

• प्रेतासनसमारूढा: mounted on a seat of spirits (corpse-seat)
• प्रेतासनसमारूढा: विशेषण (Adjectival to implied subject/देवी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेतासन + समारूढ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: प्रेतासनम् समारूढा (द्वितीया-तत्पुरुष); कृदन्त: समारूढ (सम्+आ+रुह्, क्त)

• सर्पाभरणभूषिता: adorned with serpent-ornaments
• सर्पाभरणभूषिता: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्पाभरण + भूषित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: सर्पाभरणैः भूषिता (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष); कृदन्त: भूषित (भूष्, क्त)

• पूर्णम्: full
• पूर्णम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• कलशम्: pot
• कलशम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया; धातु: आ+दा

• हैमम्: golden
• हैमम्: विशेषण (Adjectival to महाप्रभम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हैम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (महाप्रभम् इति विशेषण)

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• महाप्रभम्: the greatly splendid one (splendid pot)
• महाप्रभम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; apposition to kalaśam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: महा चासौ प्रभश्च (कर्मधारय)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse presents the Goddess in a formidable, transcendent form—showing mastery over fear, death, and impurity (preta symbolism) while holding a full kalaśa that signifies completeness, auspicious power, and the capacity to bestow grace. In Shaiva understanding, Shakti here is the dynamic power that supports Shiva’s liberating work.

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

The kalaśa and divine adornments point to saguna-upāsanā (worship with form and ritual supports). In Shiva worship, such auspicious vessels and iconography prepare the devotee’s mind for steadiness and purity, leading from external ritual to inner contemplation of Shiva as Pati (the Lord) beyond fear and limitation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests ritual reverence using a pūrṇa-kalaśa (filled pot) as an auspicious support in worship, along with focused bhakti. As an inner practice, one may pair such worship with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to stabilize the mind and invoke Shiva-Shakti grace.