Shloka 23
संपश्यति तपोलक्ष्मीं तव किं त्वधिवर्णयेत् । इति देवीं समाभाष्य तमीशः पुनरब्रवीत्
saṃpaśyati tapolakṣmīṃ tava kiṃ tvadhivarṇayet | iti devīṃ samābhāṣya tamīśaḥ punarabravīt
“One beholds the splendour born of your tapas—how could anyone possibly describe it fully?” Having thus addressed the Goddess, the Lord (Śiva) spoke to her again.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: Not tied to a jyotirliṅga; Śiva’s utterance praises Devī’s tapas-lakṣmī as ineffable, a common Purāṇic trope of ‘anirvacanīya’ glory.
Significance: Encourages reverence for tapas as spiritual capital; hearing Śiva extol Devī’s austerity inspires vrata, self-restraint, and devotion aligned with dharma.
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Umā
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse affirms that the radiance born of tapas is ineffable: when Shakti’s disciplined devotion ripens, even Shiva acknowledges it as beyond complete verbal praise—highlighting tapas as a purifier that supports grace (anugraha) and liberation.
By showing Shiva speaking intimately to the Goddess, the text frames Saguna Shiva as responsive to devotion and austerity; Linga-worship similarly channels focused tapas (japa, vrata, upāsanā) into a living relationship with the Lord who recognizes and blesses sincere practice.
It points to tapas expressed as vrata and japa—especially steady Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) repetition with disciplined living; on days like Mahāśivarātri, this can be paired with Linga-abhiṣeka and mindful restraint.