Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ददर्शिरे देवगणाः समेताः सयक्षगंधर्वपिशाचगुह्यकाः । सिद्धाप्सरःसर्वखगाश्च पन्नगाः पतत्रिणो लोकपालास्तथैव

Transliteration

dadarśire devagaṇāḥ sametāḥ sayakṣagaṃdharvapiśācaguhyakāḥ | siddhāpsaraḥsarvakhagāśca pannagāḥ patatriṇo lokapālāstathaiva

Translation

Versammelt wurden die Scharen der Götter Zeugen davon – zusammen mit Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Piśācas und Guhyakas; Siddhas und Apsarases; allen Arten von Vögeln und Schlangen; geflügelten Wesen und auch den Wächtern der Himmelsrichtungen.

Word by Word

• dadarśire: saw
• dadarśire: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• deva-gaṇāḥ: hosts of gods
• deva-gaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘groups of gods’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• sametāḥ: assembled
• sametāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√i (धातु) → sameta (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; devagaṇāḥ qualifies

• sa-yakṣa-gandharva-piśāca-guhyakāḥ: along with yakṣas, gandharvas, piśācas, and guhyakas
• sa-yakṣa-gandharva-piśāca-guhyakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) — additional groups in apposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’) + yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + gandharva (प्रातिपदिक) + piśāca (प्रातिपदिक) + guhyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह/स-उपपद: ‘together with yakṣas, gandharvas, piśācas, guhyakas’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• siddha-apsaraḥ-sarva-khagāḥ: siddhas, apsarases, and all birds
• siddha-apsaraḥ-sarva-khagāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) — additional groups
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक) + apsaras (प्रातिपदिक) + sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + khaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार/इतरेतर: ‘siddhas, apsarases, and all birds’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• pannagāḥ: serpents
• pannagāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) — additional group
• Type: Noun
• Root: pannaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• patatriṇaḥ: winged ones (birds)
• patatriṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) — additional group
• Type: Noun
• Root: patatrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• loka-pālāḥ: world-guardians
• loka-pālāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) — additional group
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘guardians of the worlds’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• tathā: thus/so
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast celestial crowd—devas, yakṣas, gandharvas, piśācas, guhyakas, siddhas, apsarases, birds, serpents, and lokapālas—fills the sky, all watching the burning of Kāla.

Characters & Entities

• Devagaṇas
• Yakṣas
• Gandharvas
• Piśācas
• Guhyakas
• Siddhas
• Apsarases
• Pannagas (Nāgas)
• Lokapālas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s acts at the tirtha are of cosmic significance—witnessed across realms—affirming the greatness of the dhāma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra, presented as a stage where gods and beings from many worlds gather to witness divine power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse functions as mahātmya-style praise by depicting universal witnessing.