Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

स्वयंभुवः सदा वेदाः सेतिहासा दिवि स्थिताः । परितो गिरिरूपास्ते स्तुवंत्यरुणपर्वतम्

Transliteration

svayaṃbhuvaḥ sadā vedāḥ setihāsā divi sthitāḥ | parito girirūpāste stuvaṃtyaruṇaparvatam

Translation

Die selbstseienden, ewigen Veden—zusammen mit den Itihāsas—weilen im Himmel; ringsum in Berggestalt lobpreisen sie den Aruṇa-Berg (Arunācala).

Word by Word

• स्वयंभुवः: self-born ones
• स्वयंभुवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘self-born’ (as epithet)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय; always

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन

• स-इतिहासाः: together with the Itihasas
• स-इतिहासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘इतिहासैः सह’ इति सहार्थक-अव्ययीभाव (सहित)

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; locative singular

• स्थिताः: are situated
• स्थिताः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; past participle ‘standing/being situated’

• परितः: around
• परितः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय; around

• गिरिरूपाः: having the form of mountains
• गिरिरूपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गिरि + रूप (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘गिरेः रूपम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, विशेषण

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• स्तुवन्ति: praise
• स्तुवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अरुणपर्वतम्: the Arun(a) mountain (Arunachala)
• अरुणपर्वतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुण + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘अरुणः पर्वतः’ कर्मधारय

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇapārvatam / Aruṇācala

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In heaven, personified Vedas and Itihāsas stand radiant; around Arunachala, ring-like mountains appear as their embodied forms, chanting praise toward the central sacred peak.

Characters & Entities

• Vedas
• Itihāsas
• Heaven (Divi)
• Aruṇaparvata (Aruṇācala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Aruṇācala’s greatness is validated by the highest scriptural voices—Veda and Itihāsa—depicted as praising it continuously.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇaparvata/Aruṇācala, celebrated as an object of perpetual scriptural praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stuti (praise) is implied; the verse depicts cosmic/scriptural glorification rather than a specific human ritual.