Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

हिमशैलोऽभवल्लोके तदा सर्वैश्चराचरैः । सेव्यश्चाप्यभिगम्यश्च पूजनीयश्च भारत

Transliteration

himaśailo'bhavalloke tadā sarvaiścarācaraiḥ | sevyaścāpyabhigamyaśca pūjanīyaśca bhārata

Translation

O Bhārata, damals wurde im Weltall der Himālaya—für alle Wesen, bewegte wie unbewegte—zu einem, dem man dienen, den man aufsuchen und den man verehren soll.

Word by Word

• हिम-शैलः: the हिमालय (snow-mountain)
• हिम-शैलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम (प्रातिपदिक) + शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारयभावे ‘हिमस्य शैलः’/‘हिमयुक्तः शैलः’

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• चर-अचरैः: by all moving and unmoving beings
• चर-अचरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘चराः च अचराः च’

• सेव्यः: to be served/attended
• सेव्यः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेव्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/potential passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सेवितव्यः’ अर्थे

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also)

• अभिगम्यः: to be approached
• अभिगम्यः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-गम् (धातु) → अभिगम्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अभिगन्तव्यः’ अर्थे

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• पूजनीयः: to be worshipped
• पूजनीयः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजनीय (कृदन्त, अनीयर्)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पूजयितव्यः’ अर्थे

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Characters & Entities

• Himālaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is dharma in practice—approaching and honoring holy mountains cultivates reverence and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Himaśaila—the Himālaya—is praised as universally worthy of pilgrimage, service, and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies tīrtha-sevā: visiting (abhigamana), serving (sevana), and worshipping (pūjā) the sacred mountain.