Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

लज्जयानतसर्वांगी प्रविवेश सदो महत् । ततो मां शैलमहिषी ववंदे प्रणिपत्य सा

Transliteration

lajjayānatasarvāṃgī praviveśa sado mahat | tato māṃ śailamahiṣī vavaṃde praṇipatya sā

Translation

In schamhafter Bescheidenheit, den ganzen Leib geneigt, trat sie in jene große Versammlungshalle ein. Dann warf sich die Bergkönigin (Pārvatī) nieder und erwies mir ehrfürchtig ihre Verehrung.

Word by Word

• लज्जया: out of modesty
• लज्जया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनतसर्वाङ्गी: with all limbs bowed
• अनतसर्वाङ्गी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनत + सर्वाङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—अनत (नत/अवनत) + सर्वाङ्गी (सर्वाणि अङ्गानि यस्याः)

• प्रविवेश: entered
• प्रविवेश: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सदः: assembly hall
• सदः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सदः’ इति विशेषणम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तदनन्तरम् (then/thereafter)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शैलमहिषी: the mountain-queen (Mena)
• शैलमहिषी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल + महिषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—शैलस्य महिषी

• ववन्दे: saluted/bowed to
• ववन्दे: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-नि-√पत् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahā-sabhā (sacred assembly space)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī enters a vast hall with downcast gaze, body slightly bent in modesty; then she fully prostrates before the narrator/holy figure; pillars, lamps, and a sanctified court-like atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (Himavatgiriputrikā/Śailamahiṣī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Modesty (lajjā) and humility expressed through respectful bowing are praised as marks of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a narrative moment within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the act shown is praṇāma (prostration) as a devotional gesture.