Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 184

Devanagari script

नीराजितौ गिरिजया शिवेन सहितौ तदा । उवाचेदं ततो देवी प्रहस्य गजगामिनी

Transliteration

nīrājitau girijayā śivena sahitau tadā | uvācedaṃ tato devī prahasya gajagāminī

Translation

Da ehrte Girijā, mit Śiva an ihrer Seite, die beiden durch nīrājana, das ehrfürchtige Schwenken der Lichter. Daraufhin lächelte die Göttin, deren Gang dem eines Elefanten gleicht, und sprach diese Worte.

Word by Word

• नीराजितौ: honoured/worshipped (with ārati)
• नीराजितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी-राज् (धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √राज् + णिच्? + क्त; उपसर्ग: नी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• गिरिजया: by Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजया: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा (प्रातिपदिक; गिरि + जा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• शिवेन: with Śiva / by Śiva
• शिवेन: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सहितौ: accompanied/together
• सहितौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √सह्/√सह (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) used adjectivally

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रहस्य: having laughed/smiling
• प्रहस्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-√हस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• गजगामिनी: elephant-gaited (graceful)
• गजगामिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज-गामिनी (प्रातिपदिक; गज + गामिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating; within the verse the Goddess (Pārvatī) begins to speak

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience sages (traditional)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Girijā performs nīrājana with a lamp before two newly arrived attendants while Śiva stands beside her; the lamp’s golden circle illuminates serene faces; Devī smiles, poised to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine beings and devotees are to be honored with reverence; worship expressed through nīrājana signifies humility and auspicious recognition of sacred presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra (Kedarnath region) within the Kedārakhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nīrājana (waving of lights/ārati) as a gesture of honor, indicating formal worship and auspicious reception.