Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अवगाह्य स्थितवता क्रियते प्राणिपालना । अहो धन्योसि विप्रेंद्राः साहाय्येन तवाचल

Transliteration

avagāhya sthitavatā kriyate prāṇipālanā | aho dhanyosi vipreṃdrāḥ sāhāyyena tavācala

Translation

بمن يلوذون بك ويقيمون في كنفك تتحقّق حمايةُ الكائنات الحيّة. حقًّا، يا أيّها الجبل، أنت مبارك؛ فبعونك يُعان حتى أرفعُ البراهمة شأنًا ويُكفَون.

Word by Word

• अवगाह्य: having entered
• अवगाह्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Gerundial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-गाह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having entered/immersed’

• स्थितवता: by (you) who remained/stood
• स्थितवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + वत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘स्थितवत्’ (past active participle-like, ‘one who has stood/remained’); पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; तृतीया (Instrumental, Singular)

• क्रियते: is done/is carried out
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• प्राणिपालना: protection of creatures
• प्राणिपालना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणि + पालन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: प्राणि + पालना (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘protection of beings’); स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• अहो: ah!
• अहो: Sambandha (Interjection/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार (interjection)

• धन्यः: fortunate/blessed
• धन्यः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); मध्यमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• विप्रेंद्राः: O best of brahmins
• विप्रेंद्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रेंद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: विप्र + इन्द्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘chief of brahmins’); पुंलिङ्गम्; बहुवचनम्; संबोधन (Vocative, Plural)

• साहाय्येन: by help/assistance
• साहाय्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; तृतीया (Instrumental, Singular)

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

• अचल: O mountain (immovable one)
• अचल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; संबोधन (Vocative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Giri-āśraya kṣetra (mountain refuge)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the mountain (Achala/Bhūdhara addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the mountain’s foothills, brāhmaṇas and ascetics dwell in hermitages; animals and travelers find safety, suggesting the mountain’s protective embrace.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Providing refuge and support to the righteous is a form of protecting life and upholding dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred mountain refuge is praised, but the verse does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the merit of offering shelter/support is emphasized.