Shloka 26

शिवसतीविवाहोत्तरलीला — Post‑marital Līlā of Śiva and Satī

Devanagari script

गिरिकुंजेषु रम्येषु सत्या सह महेश्वरः । विजहार समस्तेषु प्रियया भक्तवत्सलः

Transliteration

girikuṃjeṣu ramyeṣu satyā saha maheśvaraḥ | vijahāra samasteṣu priyayā bhaktavatsalaḥ

Translation

In the lovely mountain groves, Mahādeva—ever tender toward his devotees—wandered playfully everywhere together with Satī, his beloved.

Word by Word

• giri-kuṃjeṣu: in mountain groves
• giri-kuṃjeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: giri (गिरि प्रातिपदिक) + kuṃja (कुञ्ज प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘in mountain-groves’

• ramyeṣu: beautiful
• ramyeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (रम्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural; adjective qualifying ‘giri-kuṃjeṣu’

• satyā: with Satyā (Satī)
• satyā: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī/satyā (सत्या प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (सह अव्यय)
• Form: Preposition/particle (सह-योगे अव्यय) governing instrumental

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (महेश्वर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• vijahāra: played, sported
• vijahāra: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (हृ धातु) + vi-
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; ‘sporting/roamed’

• samasteṣu: in all (of them)
• samasteṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (समस्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural; adjective (elliptic) referring to ‘(kuṃjeṣu)’

• priyayā: with (his) beloved
• priyayā: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रिया प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• bhakta-vatsalaḥ: devotee-loving
• bhakta-vatsalaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakta (भक्त प्रातिपदिक) + vatsala (वत्सल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘affectionate to devotees’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Shiva’s accessible, saguna (personal) grace: the Supreme Lord is not distant, but lovingly present in divine leela, showing that devotion (bhakti) draws the Lord near and sanctifies the world.

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

By portraying Maheshvara as bhaktavatsala and actively present with Satī, the text supports saguna-upāsanā—worship of Shiva with form and qualities—of which Linga worship is the central Shaiva Siddhānta mode for approaching the formless through a sacred, merciful symbol.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is smaraṇa and japa: contemplate Shiva’s compassionate leela while repeating the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” ideally with rudrākṣa and tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as aids to steady devotion.