Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 3

मन्दरगिरिवर्णनम् — Description of Mount Mandara as Śiva’s Residence

Tapas-abode

Devanagari script

तपो महत्कृतं तेन वोढुं स्वशिरसा शिवौ । चिरेण लब्धं तत्पादपंकजस्पर्शजं सुखम्

Transliteration

tapo mahatkṛtaṃ tena voḍhuṃ svaśirasā śivau | cireṇa labdhaṃ tatpādapaṃkajasparśajaṃ sukham

Translation

Il accomplit une grande austérité afin de pouvoir porter Śiva sur sa propre tête ; et, après longtemps, il obtint la béatitude née du contact des pieds-lotus du Seigneur.

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म) / Karta (कर्ता) (contextual: ‘austerity was performed’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; agrees with tapaḥ

• kṛtam: done / performed
• kṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया) (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛta (√kṛ धातु, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular; predicative with tapaḥ

• tena: by him
• tena: Karta/Hetu (कर्ता/हेतुः) (agent ‘by him’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• voḍhum: to bear / to carry
• voḍhum: Prayojana (प्रयोजनम्/purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vah (धातु) (voḍhuṃ = infinitive)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), from √vah (वह्) with strengthened stem voḍh-, ‘to carry/bear’

• sva-śirasā: with his own head
• sva-śirasā: Karaṇa (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya: ‘with (his) own head’; Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• śivau: the two Śivas (Śiva and Umā)
• śivau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Dual (द्विवचन)

• cireṇa: after a long time
• cireṇa: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; adverbial use ‘after a long time’

• labdham: obtained
• labdham: Kriyā (क्रिया) (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labdha (√labh धातु, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; agrees with sukham (predicate)

• tat-pāda-paṃkaja-sparśa-jam: arising from the touch of his lotus-feet
• tat-pāda-paṃkaja-sparśa-jam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + paṃkaja (प्रातिपदिक) + sparśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Multi-member Tatpuruṣa: ‘born from the touch of his lotus-feet’; Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; agrees with sukham

• sukham: happiness / bliss
• sukham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular (object/predicate in context)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The mountain’s tapas aims at ‘bearing Śiva on the head’—a poetic idiom for becoming the Lord’s support/seat and receiving pāda-sparśa; it resembles kṣetra-māhātmya motifs where a place attains sanctity through tapas and divine contact.

Significance: Models the Siddhānta path: prolonged tapas (caryā/kriyā) ripens the soul/place for Śiva’s anugraha, culminating in ‘pāda-sparśa-sukha’ (grace-experience).

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that intense tapas matures into grace: true sukha is not sensory pleasure but the soul’s peace born from contact with Śiva’s feet—symbolizing surrender to Pati (the Lord) and release from pāśa (bondage).

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

Bearing Śiva on one’s head and seeking the touch of His lotus-feet expresses Saguna devotion—approaching the Lord through form and sacred symbols (including the Liṅga) until the devotee receives transforming grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is disciplined tapas supported by bhakti—daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), Liṅga-pūjā with humility, and meditation on Śiva’s pāda-sevā (service at the Lord’s feet) as the goal of practice.