Mahabharata (Gita Press) 3.39.79 - Vana Parva, Adhyaya 39, Shloka 79

Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas

Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva

Devanagari script

गणेशं जगत: शम्भुं लोककारणकारणम्‌ | प्रधानपुरुषातीतं परं सूक्ष्मतरं हरम्‌

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | gaṇeśaṃ jagataḥ śambhuṃ lokakāraṇakāraṇam | pradhānapuruṣātītaṃ paraṃ sūkṣmataraṃ haram |

Translation

Aku menunduk kepada Śambhu, Tuhan segala makhluk, pengasih yang menyejahterakan alam—Dialah sebab bagi segala sebab dunia. Melampaui Prakṛti dan Puruṣa, Dialah Yang Tertinggi, lebih halus daripada yang terhalus, dan penghapus dosa para bhakta.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• गणेशम्: Gaṇeśa / lord of the gaṇas
• गणेशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• शम्भुम्: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• लोककारणकारणम्: the cause of the cause of the world
• लोककारणकारणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-कारण-कारण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रधानपुरुषातीतम्: transcending Pradhāna (Prakṛti) and Puruṣa
• प्रधानपुरुषातीतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान-पुरुष-अतीत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सूक्ष्मतरम्: subtler (very subtle)
• सूक्ष्मतरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्मतर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हरम्: Hara (Śiva), the remover
• हरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Śambhu (Śiva/Hara)
• Gaṇas (hosts of beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents Śiva as the ultimate reality: the foundational cause behind all causation, beyond both material nature (Pradhāna/Prakṛti) and the conscious principle (Puruṣa). Ethically, it frames devotion and surrender as a means of purification—Śiva is invoked as the remover of sin and inner affliction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is offering a formal praise (stuti) to Śiva, identifying Him with exalted metaphysical attributes and seeking divine favor. The speech functions as a devotional invocation within the Vana Parva narrative context, where Arjuna turns to ascetic worship and prayer for spiritual and practical empowerment.