Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

उवाच परया भक्त्या पुष्कसोऽपि च तान्प्रति । कस्मात्समागता यूयं सर्वे रुद्राक्षधारिणः

Transliteration

uvāca parayā bhaktyā puṣkaso'pi ca tānprati | kasmātsamāgatā yūyaṃ sarve rudrākṣadhāriṇaḥ

Translation

Da sprach Puṣkasa, erfüllt von höchster Hingabe, zu ihnen: „Aus welchem Grund seid ihr alle hierher gekommen, ihr alle, die ihr Rudrākṣa-Perlen tragt?“

Word by Word

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• परया: with supreme/great
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुष्कसः: Puṣkasa (name)
• पुष्कसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Adhikarana (Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: उपपद/अव्यय (preposition-like), ‘towards/with regard to’

• कस्मात्: from what cause/why
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• समागताः: have come/assembled
• समागताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रुद्राक्षधारिणः: wearers of rudrākṣa beads
• रुद्राक्षधारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्राक्ष + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक); धृ (धातु) → धारिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘रुद्राक्षस्य धारिणः’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (narrating); direct speech by Puṣkasa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted Puṣkasa stands in a Himalayan sacred precinct, palms joined, addressing a gathered group of rudrākṣa-wearing Śaiva beings with reverent curiosity.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkasa
• Rudrākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion (parā bhakti) expresses humility and inquiry, recognizing Śiva’s signs such as rudrākṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra tīrtha in Kedāra Khaṇḍa, where devotees encounter Śiva’s attendants and sacred symbols.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, rudrākṣa-dhāraṇa (wearing rudrākṣa) as a Śaiva marker; no step-by-step rite is detailed in this verse.