Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अभिषेक्ष्यामहे त्वां च तत्र नो द्रष्टुमर्हसि । यथा हस्तिपदे सर्वपदांतर्भाव इष्यते

Transliteration

abhiṣekṣyāmahe tvāṃ ca tatra no draṣṭumarhasi | yathā hastipade sarvapadāṃtarbhāva iṣyate

Translation

«سنُجري لك طقس التتويج؛ غير أنك لا ينبغي أن تنظر إلى هناك (إلى ذلك الطقس). فكما يُقال إن في أثر قدم الفيل تنطوي جميع الآثار الأخرى…»

Word by Word

• abhiṣekṣyāmahe: we shall consecrate
• abhiṣekṣyāmahe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sic (धातु) + abhi- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• naḥ: of us, our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अस्मद्-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; 'our'

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• arhasi: you are fit/you should
• arhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• hastipade: in an elephant’s footprint
• hastipade: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hastipada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः: हस्ते पदम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• sarva-pada-antarbhāvaḥ: the inclusion of all footprints
• sarva-pada-antarbhāvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक) + antarbhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः: सर्वेषां पदानाम् अन्तर्भावः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• iṣyate: is accepted, is held to be
• iṣyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is accepted/considered)

Speaker

Śakra (Indra) and the Devas (within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests prepare to consecrate a leader; one priest raises a hand in caution, instructing the consecrand to avert the gaze. In the background, an elephant footprint motif is subtly shown in sand, symbolizing containment of all paths.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Devas
• Elephant footprint simile

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts can concentrate many merits into one locus; dharma also includes ritual etiquette and prescribed conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single named tīrtha in this verse; it introduces the idea of ‘all tīrthas contained’ (sarva-pada-antarbhāva) akin to later sarva-tīrtha themes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During the devas’ abhiṣeka of Skanda, he is instructed not to look at the rite—an element of ritual observance.