Shloka 7

Gāyatrī–Sandhyā Upāsanā: Śuddhi, Nyāsa, and Japa-Viniyoga

Devanagari script

माहेश्वरी च सावित्री शुक्लवस्त्रादिमण्डिता / वृषस्कन्धसमारूढा त्रिशूलवरधारिणी

Transliteration

māheśvarī ca sāvitrī śuklavastrādimaṇḍitā / vṛṣaskandhasamārūḍhā triśūlavaradhāriṇī

Translation

Ella es Māheśvarī y también Sāvitrī, engalanada con vestiduras blancas y ornamentos; montada sobre el lomo/hombro del toro, porta el tridente y concede dones.

Word by Word

• माहेश्वरी: Maheshvari (a goddess)
• माहेश्वरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहेश्वरī (प्रातिपदिक; महेश्वर-सम्बन्धिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-नाम (देवी-नाम)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सावित्री: Savitri
• सावित्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; देवी-नाम

• शुक्लवस्त्रादिमण्डिता: adorned with white garments and the like
• शुक्लवस्त्रादिमण्डिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल-वस्त्र-आदि-माṇḍितā (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √मण्ड् (धातु) + क्त; घटकाः: शुक्ल + वस्त्र + आदि + मण्डिता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-विशेषण (past passive participle); ‘शुक्लवस्त्रादिभिः मण्डिता’ (तृतीया-सम्बन्ध)

• वृषस्कन्धसमारूढा: mounted on the bull’s shoulder/back
• वृषस्कन्धसमारूढा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष-स्कन्ध-सम्-आ-रूढा (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) + क्त; उपसर्गाः सम्+आ; घटकाः: वृष + स्कन्ध + समारूढा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘वृषस्य स्कन्धे समारूढा’ (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• त्रिशूलवरधारिणी: bearing a trident and a boon
• त्रिशूलवरधारिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिशूल-वर-धारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ (धातु) + णिनि; घटकाः: त्रिशूल + वर + धारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun); ‘त्रिशूलं च वरं च धारयति’ (द्वन्द्व-समास; कर्म-सम्बन्ध)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dhyāna of the Devī’s śakti as boon-bestowing and protective; form (mūrti) as a support for devotion and mantra-sādhana.

Vedantic Theme: Saguṇa-upāsanā as an aid to inner purification (citta-śuddhi) leading toward śānta-bhāva.

Application: Visualize the described form (white garments, bull-mount, trident, varada-mudrā) during japa or sandhyā/nyāsa to stabilize attention and cultivate fearlessness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.217 (Devī-dhyāna/mantra context; adjacent verses 1.217.8-11)

Characters & Entities

• Māheśvarī
• Sāvitrī
• Vṛṣa (bull)
• Trident (Triśūla)

FAQs

What is the importance of Māheśvarī and Sāvitrī in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse identifies a divine feminine presence with Śaiva power (Māheśvarī) and Vedic-solar sanctity (Sāvitrī), emphasizing purity (white attire), protection (trident), and grace (boon-giving).

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by portraying the Goddess as varadā (boon-giver) and protective, it supports the Garuda Purana’s broader theme that dharmic devotion and purity invoke divine aid amid life’s transitions, including death-related rites and afterlife concerns.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate śauca (purity), steady devotion, and ethical living; for practitioners, recitation/meditation on protective divine forms can be paired with sincere dharma and disciplined conduct.