Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

स्तूयतां वै महादेवो महेशः कार्यगौरवात्

Transliteration

stūyatāṃ vai mahādevo maheśaḥ kāryagauravāt

Translation

„Mahādeva, Maheśa, soll wahrlich gepriesen werden—denn schwerwiegend ist die Aufgabe, die vor uns liegt.“

Word by Word

• स्तूयताम्: let (him) be praised
• स्तूयताम्: Kriya (Injunctive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (let him be praised)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; निश्चयार्थ

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (the great god)
• महादेवः: Karman (Logical object of passive ‘stūyatām’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (महान् देवः)

• महेशः: Maheśa (great lord)
• महेशः: Karman (Apposition to ‘mahādevaḥ’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (महान् ईशः)

• कार्यगौरवात्: because of the importance/weight of the task
• कार्यगौरवात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (गौरव-शब्दः पुं), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (कार्यस्य गौरवम्)

Speaker

Pareśa / Maheśvara (Śiva) (deduced from preceding verse where he begins speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kedārakhaṇḍa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A directive is issued: ‘Let Mahādeva be praised’—devas preparing for a grave mission, hands folded, attention focused on Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Maheśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In times of crisis, stuti (praise) is a dharmic first step—aligning the mind with the Lord who accomplishes the impossible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this line; it functions as a transition into a Śiva-stuti within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yes—stūti (praising Mahādeva) is prescribed as the appropriate devotional act.