Shloka 31

गिरिजाया तपोऽनुज्ञा

Permission for Girijā’s Austerities

Devanagari script

शंभुना कुर्वता ध्यानं यत्र दग्धो मनोभवः । गंगावतरणो नाम प्रस्थो हिमवतस्स च

Transliteration

śaṃbhunā kurvatā dhyānaṃ yatra dagdho manobhavaḥ | gaṃgāvataraṇo nāma prastho himavatassa ca

Translation

ที่ราบสูงแห่งหิมวัตนั้นมีนามว่า “คงคาวตารณะ” สถานที่แห่งการเสด็จลงของพระคงคา—ที่ซึ่งเมื่อพระศัมภูดำรงสมาธิ มโนภวะ (กามเทพ) ถูกเผาผลาญ.

Word by Word

• शम्भुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुना: Karta (कर्ता/agent in instrumental with participle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• कुर्वता: doing/performing
• कुर्वता: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; agrees with शम्भुना

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, relative adverb of place

• दग्धः: was burnt
• दग्धः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• मनः-भवः: Manobhava (Kāma)
• मनः-भवः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘born of mind’ (name of Kāma)

• गङ्गा-अवतरणः: (a place called) Gaṅgāvataraṇa
• गङ्गा-अवतरणः: Karta (कर्ता/subject, apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + अवतरण (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष used as place-name

• नाम: named/called
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, indeclinable used to indicate naming (‘called’)

• प्रस्थः: a plateau/region
• प्रस्थः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• हिमवतसः: of Himavat (the Himalaya)
• हिमवतसः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction particle (समुच्चय)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Identifies a Himalayan plateau named ‘Gaṅgāvataraṇa’ and marks it as the site where Kāma was incinerated by Śiva’s yogic fire—functioning as a local tīrtha-mahātmyam rather than a Jyotirliṅga origin.

Significance: A place sanctified by Śiva’s meditation and the subjugation of kāma (desire); pilgrimage symbolizes conquest of inner bondage and purification for higher yoga.

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Kāma-dahana (burning of Manobhava) at the Gaṅgāvataraṇa plateau

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kama (Manobhava)
• Ganga
• Himavat

FAQs

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

It presents Śiva as the supreme yogin: when consciousness is established in dhyāna, the force of kāma (desire) is reduced to ashes, indicating mastery over bonds (pāśa) that obstruct liberation.

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

The verse highlights Saguna Śiva’s yogic līlā—His power to burn desire—encouraging devotees to worship the Liṅga as the stable support for meditation that purifies mind and senses.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is steady dhyāna on Śiva (often supported by japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), cultivating vairāgya so that desire does not disturb the mind.