Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पृष्ठतोनुययौ यांतं वरदं वृषभध्वजम् । तस्य दक्षिणतो देवा मरुतश्चित्रयोधिनः

Transliteration

pṛṣṭhatonuyayau yāṃtaṃ varadaṃ vṛṣabhadhvajam | tasya dakṣiṇato devā marutaścitrayodhinaḥ

Translation

وخلف واهب النِّعَم، ربُّ الراية ذات الثور، كان السائرون يتبعونه في مسيره؛ وعن يمينه مضت الآلهة والماروت، محاربو بأسٍ عجيب.

Word by Word

• pṛṣṭhataḥ: from behind
• pṛṣṭhataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक: "from behind"

• anuyayau: followed
• anuyayau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu√yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; "followed"

• yāntam: going
• yāntam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yā (धातु) → yānt (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण

• varadam: boon-giving
• varadam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara-da (प्रातिपदिक: vara + da)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद): "varaṃ dadāti"; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण

• vṛṣabhadhvajam: the one whose banner is the bull (Śiva)
• vṛṣabhadhvajam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣabha-dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक: vṛṣabha + dhvaja)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): "वृषभस्य ध्वजः"; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• dakṣiṇataḥ: to the right
• dakṣiṇataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक: "on the right (side)"

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• marutaḥ: the Maruts
• marutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marut (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• citrayodhinaḥ: of wondrous fighters
• citrayodhinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra-yodhin (प्रातिपदिक: citra + yodhin)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: "चित्राः (विचित्राः) योधिनः"; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (marutaḥ)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, bull-bannered and boon-giving, journeys forward; behind him follows a retinue, while on his right flank stand the devas and the Maruts as radiant warrior-guardians.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva)
• Devas
• Maruts

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord as giver of boons is the center of divine order; even the gods and storm-deities take their place around him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.