Padma Purana — Patala Khanda, Shloka 40

Description of Cyavana’s Austerity and Enjoyment

Devanagari script

आविवेश सरस्तत्र मुदा शिवजलाशयम् । सांतःसरसि वेश्मस्थाः शतानि दशकन्यकाः

Transliteration

āviveśa sarastatra mudā śivajalāśayam | sāṃtaḥsarasi veśmasthāḥ śatāni daśakanyakāḥ

Translation

Masaya siyang pumasok sa lawa roon—ang banal na imbakan ng tubig ni Śiva. Sa loob ng panloob na lawang-lotus ay may mga bahay, at doon naninirahan ang daan-daang dalagitang may gulang na mga sampung taon.

Word by Word

• आविवेश: entered
• आविवेश: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• सरः: the lake
• सरः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन (singular)

• शिव-जल-आशयम्: the reservoir of Śiva’s water (Śiva’s lake)
• शिव-जल-आशयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): ‘शिवस्य जलम्’ + ‘जलस्य आशयः’

• सान्तःसरसि: in the inner lake / within the lake
• सान्तःसरसि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सान्तःसरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (singular); उपपद/विशेषणपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः: ‘स + अन्तःसरस्’ (inner-lake/within the lake)

• वेश्म-स्थाः: dwelling in the mansion
• वेश्म-स्थाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन (plural); तत्पुरुषः: ‘वेश्मनि स्थाः’ (standing/being in the house)

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन (plural)

• दश-कन्यकाः: ten maidens
• दश-कन्यकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन (plural); द्विगु-समासः (numerical compound): ‘दश कन्यकाः’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; specific dialogue-speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: āviveśa (ā + viveśa); saras + tatra → sarastatra; śiva + jala + āśayam → śivajalāśayam; veśma + sthāḥ → veśmasthāḥ; daśa + kanyakāḥ → daśakanyakāḥ.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is meant by “Śiva’s jalāśaya” in this verse?

It refers to a sacred water-reservoir (jalāśaya) associated with Śiva—presented as a sanctified lake whose waters and setting are portrayed as extraordinary and spiritually charged.

Why does the verse describe an “inner lake” with houses inside it?

This is a Purāṇic motif of mythic geography, where sacred spaces contain hidden or inner realms (antaḥ-saras) with divine or wondrous habitations, emphasizing the otherworldly nature of tīrthas and subterranean regions in the Pātālakhaṇḍa.

Is there an ethical or devotional takeaway from this verse alone?

Indirectly, yes: the verse frames entry into a Śiva-associated sacred site as an event of joy and wonder, reinforcing reverence for tīrthas and the sacredness attributed to Śiva’s domains; the explicit ethical instruction would depend on surrounding verses.