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

ข้าพเจ้าขอนอบน้อมแด่ศัมภู ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งหมู่คณะ (คณะเทพ) ผู้เกื้อกูลจักรวาล และเป็นเหตุแม้เหนือเหตุแห่งโลกทั้งปวง พระองค์ทรงอยู่เหนือทั้งปรธานะ (ปรกฤติ) และปุรุษะ เป็นผู้สูงสุด ละเอียดกว่าสิ่งใด และทรงขจัดบาปของภักตะทั้งหลาย

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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.