Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

स्वर्गाः समावृताः सर्वे स्वर्गातीतमथाभवत् । न मही न च दिक्चक्रं न तोयं न च पावकः

Transliteration

svargāḥ samāvṛtāḥ sarve svargātītamathābhavat | na mahī na ca dikcakraṃ na toyaṃ na ca pāvakaḥ

Translation

Alle Himmel wurden verhüllt, und es wurde zu etwas, das selbst den Himmel überstieg. Da war weder Erde noch Kreis der Himmelsrichtungen, weder Wasser noch Feuer.

Word by Word

• स्वर्गाः: heavens
• स्वर्गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• समावृताः: were covered
• समावृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु) + sam-ā- → samāvṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय (predicate: 'were covered')

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• स्वर्गातीतम्: beyond heaven
• स्वर्गातीतम्: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svarga + atīta (कृदन्त; √i + ati-)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष (स्वर्गात् अतीतम्)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक निपात (then/now)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not/no
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध निपात (negation)

• मही: earth
• मही: Karta (Subject—negated/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध निपात

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• दिक्चक्रम्: circle of directions
• दिक्चक्रम्: Karta (Subject—negated/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dik + cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दिशां चक्रम्)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध निपात

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karta (Subject—negated/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध निपात

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• पावकः: fire
• पावकः: Karta (Subject—negated/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Heavens darken as if eclipsed; the liṅga’s presence overwhelms celestial realms; directions vanish, and the familiar world-elements fade into a void-like stillness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s reality is described as transcending the created order—beyond heaven and beyond the elements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedarnath region) within the Kedāra-khaṇḍa, where the liṅga’s transcendence is emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a cosmological description preparing for the liṅga-māhātmya.