Shloka 39

पानीयदान-प्रपादान-वापीकूपतडाग-निर्माण-प्रशंसा

Praise of Water-Gift and the Construction of Wells and Tanks

Devanagari script

तपो हि परमं प्रोक्तं तपसा विद्यते फलम् । तपोरता हि ये नित्यं मोदंते सह दैवतैः

Transliteration

tapo hi paramaṃ proktaṃ tapasā vidyate phalam | taporatā hi ye nityaṃ modaṃte saha daivataiḥ

Translation

Tapas is declared to be the highest; through tapas its true fruit is attained. Those who are ever devoted to austerity rejoice in divine felicity, in the company of the gods.

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular)

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/हेतु-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• paramam: supreme, highest
• paramam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular); विशेषण (adjective) of tapaḥ

• proktam: declared, said
• proktam: Karma (कर्म) / Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said/declared’

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental Singular)

• vidyate: is found, exists
• vidyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन (3rd person singular, Ātmanepada)

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karta (कर्ता) / Karma (कर्म) (context: ‘fruit exists’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular)

• tapaḥ-ratāḥ: those devoted to austerity
• tapaḥ-ratāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + rata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे: ‘tapas-i rata’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative Plural); बहुवचन-विशेष्य ‘ye’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/बल-प्रदर्शक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• ye: who, those who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative Plural)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb), अव्यय

• modante: rejoice, delight
• modante: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mud (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन (3rd person plural, Ātmanepada)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahartha (सहार्थ/सह-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय/सह-योगे (indeclinable of accompaniment)

• daivataiḥ: with the deities
• daivataiḥ: Sahartha (सह-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daivata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental Plural)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching within Umāsaṃhitā’s philosophical discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It affirms tapas as the supreme inner discipline that ripens into its “fruit”—purification, steadiness in sādhanā, and fitness for Shiva’s grace, culminating in divine joy and liberation-oriented merit.

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

Tapas supports Saguna Shiva worship by strengthening vows, japa, and restraint; such disciplined devotion makes Linga-pūjā effective, turning external ritual into an inward offering aligned with Shiva’s presence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt a regulated vrata with daily japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), simple diet and self-restraint, and Linga-abhiṣeka; if practiced, apply Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and wear Rudrākṣa as aids to sustained tapas.