Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ततो गुहात्पश्चिमतो बिलमस्ति बृहत्तरम् । तत्र प्रविश्य गंतव्यं क्रमाणां शतसप्तकम्

Transliteration

tato guhātpaścimato bilamasti bṛhattaram | tatra praviśya gaṃtavyaṃ kramāṇāṃ śatasaptakam

Translation

ثمّ إلى غرب غُها كهفٌ أعظمُ سعةً. فإذا دخلته وجب أن تمضي سبعمئةَ خطوةٍ متتابعة.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• गुहात्: from Guha
• गुहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान/5th case), एकवचन; 'from Guha'

• पश्चिमतः: westwards
• पश्चिमतः: Adhikarana (Directional/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चिमतः (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (directional adverb: 'to the west/westwards')

• बिलम्: a hole/cave
• बिलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'is/exists'

• बृहत्तरम्: larger, greater
• बृहत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहत्तर (प्रातिपदिक; बृहत्-तरा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

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

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); 'having entered'

• गन्तव्यम्: one must go
• गन्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'is to be gone/one should go'

• क्रमाणाम्: of steps
• क्रमाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th case), बहुवचन; 'of steps'

• शतसप्तकम्: seven hundred (steps)
• शतसप्तकम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numerical): 'a set of seven hundreds' (=700)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bṛhattara-bila (larger western cave)

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A torch-lit, broader cave passage to the west, with a pilgrim descending/advancing along a long stair-like path, counting steps in devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Guha (Skanda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred path is concrete and disciplined—devotion is paired with precise, obedient action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Guha-associated cave-route west of the Guha locus within the Kedāra–Kalāpa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical observance: enter the specified cave and traverse the measured passage (700 steps).