Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

देवानां रूपमास्थाय अमृतार्थं त्वरान्वितौ । उपविष्टौ तदा पङ्क्त्यां देवानाममृतार्थिनौ

Transliteration

devānāṃ rūpamāsthāya amṛtārthaṃ tvarānvitau | upaviṣṭau tadā paṅktyāṃ devānāmamṛtārthinau

Translation

In der Gestalt der Götter und in Eile um des Amṛta der Unsterblichkeit willen setzten sich die beiden, nach Amṛta verlangend, in die Reihe unter den Devas.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Kriyā (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/absolutive; ल्यप्-आदेश: आस्थाय), अव्ययभाव

• अमृतार्थम्: for (obtaining) nectar
• अमृतार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (उद्देश्य/for the sake of)

• त्वरान्वितौ: endowed with haste
• त्वरान्वितौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (त्वरया अन्वितौ)

• उपविष्टौ: sat down
• उपविष्टौ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time)

• पङ्क्त्याम्: in the row (line)
• पङ्क्त्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्क्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अमृतार्थिनौ: desiring nectar
• अमृतार्थिनौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष (अमृतस्य अर्थिनौ)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāhu and Ketu, disguised as devas, slip into the divine row; their eyes betray hunger for amṛta while the devas remain focused on receiving.

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire for divine rewards often drives disguise and deceit; dharma demands discernment even in sacred assemblies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra region); this verse is part of the mythic prelude connected to local place-names and sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the amṛta episode rather than prescribing vrata, dāna, or snāna.