Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 41

सत्याः पुनस्तपश्चर्या — Satī’s Return to Austerity (Tapas) and Fearless Liṅga-Worship

Devanagari script

सौम्या घोरा च मिश्रा च त्रिनेत्रा चन्द्रशेखरा । अजातपुंस्पर्शरतिरधृष्या चातिसुन्दरी

Transliteration

saumyā ghorā ca miśrā ca trinetrā candraśekharā | ajātapuṃsparśaratiradhṛṣyā cātisundarī

Translation

Elle est douce, elle est terrible, et d’aspect mêlé ; elle a trois yeux et porte la lune en diadème. Elle ne se réjouit que du toucher de Celui qui n’est pas un homme—de Śiva seul ; elle est inattaquable et d’une beauté suprême.

Word by Word

• सौम्या: gentle, auspicious
• सौम्या: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• घोरा: terrible, fierce
• घोरा: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• मिश्रा: mixed, combined
• मिश्रा: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• त्रि-नेत्रा: three-eyed
• त्रि-नेत्रा: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ङीप् (स्त्रीप्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि नेत्राणि यस्याः/three-eyed)

• चन्द्र-शेखरा: moon-crested
• चन्द्र-शेखरा: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शेखर (प्रातिपदिक) + ङीप् (स्त्रीप्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (चन्द्रः शेखरः यस्याः/she who has the moon as her crest)

• अजात-पुंस्-स्पर्श-रतिः: one delighting in untouchedness by men (virginal)
• अजात-पुंस्-स्पर्श-रतिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जन् + क्त) + पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक) + रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अजातः पुंसः स्पर्शः तस्मिन् रतिः/one whose delight is in the touch of an unborn male i.e., untouched by man)

• अधृष्या: unassailable
• अधृष्या: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधृष्य (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-उपसर्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समासान्त (invincible/unassailable)

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

• अति-सुन्दरी: exceedingly beautiful
• अति-सुन्दरी: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (अति + सुन्दरी/very beautiful)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Parvati
• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse praises Devī’s paradoxical completeness—benign and fearsome—showing that the supreme Śakti contains and harmonizes opposites, and that her beauty and power are inseparable from her purity and invincibility in the Shaiva Siddhanta vision.

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

By describing Devī as belonging exclusively to Śiva and sharing his divine marks (three eyes, moon-crested), the verse affirms Saguna worship of Śiva together with Śakti—Linga worship is most complete when approached with reverence to the inseparable Shiva–Shakti unity.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva–Shakti as one reality while repeating the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and performing simple Linga pūjā with purity and restraint, cultivating devotion that is both gentle (saumya) and awe-filled (ghora).