Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तेषां सदर्शनौत्सुक्यादागतो हि महातपाः । व्यासशिष्यो महाप्राज्ञो लोमशोनाम नामतः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ sadarśanautsukyādāgato hi mahātapāḥ | vyāsaśiṣyo mahāprājño lomaśonāma nāmataḥ

Translation

Aus Sehnsucht, sie zu schauen, kam der große Asket herbei: Vyasas Schüler, von hoher Weisheit, bekannt unter dem Namen Lomaśa.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• स-दर्शन-औत्सुक्यात्: from eagerness to see (them)
• स-दर्शन-औत्सुक्यात्: Hetu/Reason (कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + औत्सुक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (हेतु/कारणार्थे: 'दर्शनस्य औत्सुक्यं' → 'दर्शनौत्सुक्य')

• आगतः: having come / arrived
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• महातपाः: the great ascetic
• महातपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः—महान् तपाः (great ascetic)

• व्यास-शिष्यः: disciple of Vyāsa
• व्यास-शिष्यः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—व्यासस्य शिष्यः

• महाप्राज्ञः: very wise
• महाप्राज्ञः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective)

• लोमशः: Lomaśa
• लोमशः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); व्यक्तिनाम (proper name)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), नामार्थक-निपात (particle indicating name)

• नामतः: as regards his name
• नामतः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb), प्रकार/उपाध्यर्थ (as to name/nominally)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Purāṇic recital frame at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan hermitage-sacrificial ground: long-session sages seated around sacred fires; from a forested path arrives Lomāśa, austere, radiant, carrying staff and waterpot; the atmosphere is charged with anticipation of discourse on Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is preserved through lineage and living teachers who connect sacred places with sacred teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Naimiṣāraṇya, the famed tīrtha where the sages are assembled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it introduces the learned visitor (Lomaśa) whose presence enables the forthcoming teaching.