Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

देवानां रूपमास्थाय अमृतार्थं त्वरान्वितौ । उपविष्टौ तदा पङ्क्त्यां देवानाममृतार्थिनौ

Transliteration

devānāṃ rūpamāsthāya amṛtārthaṃ tvarānvitau | upaviṣṭau tadā paṅktyāṃ devānāmamṛtārthinau

Translation

فاتّخذا هيئةَ الآلهة، وأسرعا طلبًا لأَمْرِتَة الخلود؛ ثم جلس الاثنان، وهما المتعطّشان إلى الأَمْرِتَة، في الصفّ بين الدِّيفات.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Kriyā (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/absolutive; ल्यप्-आदेश: आस्थाय), अव्ययभाव

• अमृतार्थम्: for (obtaining) nectar
• अमृतार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (उद्देश्य/for the sake of)

• त्वरान्वितौ: endowed with haste
• त्वरान्वितौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (त्वरया अन्वितौ)

• उपविष्टौ: sat down
• उपविष्टौ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time)

• पङ्क्त्याम्: in the row (line)
• पङ्क्त्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्क्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अमृतार्थिनौ: desiring nectar
• अमृतार्थिनौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष (अमृतस्य अर्थिनौ)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāhu and Ketu, disguised as devas, slip into the divine row; their eyes betray hunger for amṛta while the devas remain focused on receiving.

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire for divine rewards often drives disguise and deceit; dharma demands discernment even in sacred assemblies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra region); this verse is part of the mythic prelude connected to local place-names and sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the amṛta episode rather than prescribing vrata, dāna, or snāna.