Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

महाशैलं दृष्ट्वा ते सुरसत्तमाः । ऊचुः प्रांजलयः सर्वे तदा ते सुरसत्तमाः

Transliteration

mahāśailaṃ dṛṣṭvā te surasattamāḥ | ūcuḥ prāṃjalayaḥ sarve tadā te surasattamāḥ

Translation

Als sie den großen Berg erblickten, sprachen jene erlesensten der Götter, die Hände ehrfürchtig gefaltet, in jenem Augenblick zu ihm.

Word by Word

• महा-शैलम्: the great mountain
• महा-शैलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय — महान् शैलः (great mountain)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• सुर-सत्तमाः: the best of the gods
• सुर-सत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘सुराणां सत्तमाः’ (best among gods)

• ऊचुः: they said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्राञ्जलयः: with folded hands
• प्राञ्जलयः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण — प्राञ्जलि (with joined palms)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: then)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सुर-सत्तमाः: best of gods
• सुर-सत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, context of Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara-parvata (mythic)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Devas stand before the immense mountain, hands folded, faces uplifted; the peak towers above, radiant and serene, as if listening.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāśaila (great mountain)
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approach sacred beings and sacred places with humility and reverence (prāñjali-bhāva).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kedāra Khaṇḍa (Kedārakṣetra/Himalayan sacred geography), though this verse specifically introduces a revered mountain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the devotional gesture of joined palms is highlighted.