Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

ओंपुण्येति प्रणिगदन्गर्गो वध्वंजलिं दधे । पार्वत्यक्षतपूर्णं च शिवोपरि ववर्ष वै

Transliteration

oṃpuṇyeti praṇigadangargo vadhvaṃjaliṃ dadhe | pārvatyakṣatapūrṇaṃ ca śivopari vavarṣa vai

Translation

„Oṃ, puṇya!“, sprach Garga und legte die Hände der Braut zum Añjali zusammen; und Pārvatī, die Hände voll Akṣata—ungebrochener Reiskörner—streute sie über Śiva.

Word by Word

• oṃ: oṃ
• oṃ: Sambodhana/Discourse marker (सम्बोधन/उद्घोष)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: oṃ (अव्यय/मङ्गलप्रणव)
• Form: अव्यय; मङ्गलप्रणव (indeclinable auspicious syllable)

• puṇya: merit; auspiciousness
• puṇya: Karma (कर्म) (as uttered word)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter; nominative/accusative sg; used as quoted word)

• iti: thus
• iti: Discourse marker (वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-उक्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

• praṇigadan: uttering; proclaiming
• praṇigadan: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifying subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇi-gad (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन (masc nom sg)

• gargaḥ: Garga
• gargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (masc nominative sg)

• vadhū: of the bride
• vadhū: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (fem genitive sg) (in compound relation)

• añjalim: joined palms; salutation gesture
• añjalim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: añjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (masc accusative sg)

• dadhe: placed; held
• dadhe: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धा धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन (3rd sg, perfect, parasmaipada)

• pārvatī: of Pārvatī
• pārvatī: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (fem genitive sg) (in compound relation)

• akṣata: unbroken rice grains
• akṣata: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg) (compound member)

• pūrṇam: filled (with)
• pūrṇam: Karma (कर्म) (object implied: 'that (handful) filled with...')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter accusative sg); समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pārvaty-akṣata-pūrṇa = 'filled with Pārvatī's akṣata')

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• śiva: of Śiva
• śiva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (masc genitive sg) (in compound relation)

• upari: upon; over
• upari: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गार्थक/अधिकरणवाचक (adverb/preposition)

• vavarṣa: showered; sprinkled
• vavarṣa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛṣ (वृष् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन (3rd sg, perfect, parasmaipada)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Discourse marker (निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garga officiates a sacred rite, uttering “Oṃ puṇya”; the bride’s hands are joined in añjali; Pārvatī showers akṣata upon Śiva in a wedding-like auspicious moment.

Characters & Entities

• Garga
• Pārvatī
• Śiva
• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Akṣata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred union is consecrated by mantra and pure offerings—inner intention (puṇya) is expressed through simple, sattvic rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sanctified ritual space, where mantra and offering enact divine auspiciousness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Uttering an auspicious formula with Oṃ, arranging the bride’s añjali, and offering akṣata (unbroken rice) to the deity/groom.