Shloka 3

गिरिजातपः-परीक्षा तथा सप्तर्षि-आह्वानम्

Girijā’s Austerity-Test and the Summoning of the Seven Sages

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । गतेषु तेषु देवेषु ब्रह्मादिषु निजाश्रमम् । तत्तपस्सु परीक्षार्थं समाधिस्थोऽभवद्भवः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | gateṣu teṣu deveṣu brahmādiṣu nijāśramam | tattapassu parīkṣārthaṃ samādhistho'bhavadbhavaḥ

Translation

พรหมาตรัสว่า—เมื่อเหล่าเทพตั้งแต่พระพรหมเป็นต้นไปเสด็จกลับสู่อาศรมของตนแล้ว ภวะ (พระศิวะ) เพื่อทดสอบความมั่นคงแห่งตบะนั้น จึงทรงตั้งมั่นในสมาธิ

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गतेषु: when (they) had gone / in the departed (ones)
• गतेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (देवेषु)

• तेषु: in those
• तेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मादिषु: among Brahmā and the others
• ब्रह्मादिषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मा-आदि = “Brahmā and others”)

• निज: one's own
• निज: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (आश्रमम्)

• आश्रमम्: hermitage/abode
• आश्रमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (तपस्सु)

• तपस्सु: in the austerities
• तपस्सु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• परीक्षा-अर्थम्: for the purpose of testing
• परीक्षा-अर्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे द्वितीया (accusative used adverbially); समासः—तत्पुरुष (परीक्षायाः अर्थः = “for the purpose of testing”)

• समाधि-स्थः: situated in samādhi
• समाधि-स्थः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (समाधौ स्थितः)

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; शिवनाम

Speaker

Brahmā

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Devas

FAQs

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

It presents Śiva as Pati (the supreme Lord) who validates spiritual discipline: true tapas is not mere hardship but steadfast inner absorption, tested and confirmed in the presence of the Divine.

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

Śiva’s samādhi highlights Saguna Śiva as the accessible Lord who guides seekers—worship of the Liṅga is paired with inner stillness (dhyāna/samādhi), showing ritual and meditation as complementary.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is to support worship with meditation: after japa (especially pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), sit in steady dhyāna aiming for samādhi; maintain purity and discipline as the essence of tapas.