Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

इति स्तुत्वा महादेवं निपेतुर्दंडवत्क्षितौ । प्रत्युवाच तदा शंभुर्वरदोऽस्मि किमिच्छति

Transliteration

iti stutvā mahādevaṃ nipeturdaṃḍavatkṣitau | pratyuvāca tadā śaṃbhurvarado'smi kimicchati

Translation

Nachdem sie so Mahādeva gepriesen hatten, fielen sie wie ein Stab zur Erde, in völliger Niederwerfung. Da erwiderte Śambhu: „Ich bin der Spender der Gaben—was begehrt ihr?“

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थ/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having praised)

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् देवः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निपेतुः: they fell down
• निपेतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दण्डवत्: like a staff (prostrate)
• दण्डवत्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: like a staff)

• क्षितौ: on the ground
• क्षितौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रत्युवाच: he replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति+उप+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (then)

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वरदः: boon-giving
• वरदः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (giver of boons)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इच्छति: (he) desires
• इच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual), then Śiva (Śambhu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After the hymn, the gods fall in full prostration; Śambhu, calm and compassionate, speaks the boon-offering words, hand raised in abhaya/varada mudrā.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Śambhu
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent surrender (full prostration) and heartfelt praise draw divine grace and a compassionate response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named in this verse; it frames a sacred encounter in the Dharmāraṇya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daṇḍavat-praṇāma (full-body prostration) is exemplified as a devotional act.