Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

कैलासशिखरासीनः पुरा देवो महेश्वरः । सर्वैर्गणगणैः सार्धमुपविष्टो वरासने

Transliteration

kailāsaśikharāsīnaḥ purā devo maheśvaraḥ | sarvairgaṇagaṇaiḥ sārdhamupaviṣṭo varāsane

Translation

„Einst saß der Gott Maheśvara auf dem Gipfel des Kailāsa und nahm auf einem vortrefflichen Thron Platz, zusammen mit allen Scharen seiner gaṇas.“

Word by Word

• कैलासशिखरासीनः: seated on the peak of Kailāsa
• कैलासशिखरासीनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कैलास + शिखर + आसीन (कृदन्त; √आस् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कैलास-शिखर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘कैलासस्य शिखरम्’) + आसीन (‘स्थितः/उपविष्टः’)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—महा-ईश्वर (कर्मधारय: ‘महान् ईश्वरः’)

• सर्वैः: with all
• सर्वैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• गणगणैः: with groups of attendants
• गणगणैः: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—गण-गण (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘गणैः गणैः’)

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable meaning ‘together with’)

• उपविष्टः: seated
• उपविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपविष्ट (कृदन्त; उप-√विश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• वरासने: on an excellent seat
• वरासने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—वर-आसन (कर्मधारय: ‘वरम् आसनम्’)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (as archetypal tīrtha-seat)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-s / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva sits on Kailāsa’s summit on a splendid throne; around him are ranks of gaṇas—some fierce, some benign—forming a divine assembly against snowy peaks and a luminous sky.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Kailāsa
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge about tīrthas is presented as originating in Śiva’s divine assembly, highlighting its sanctity and reliability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa is invoked as the divine seat of Śiva, framing the authority of the forthcoming tīrtha teachings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it establishes the narrative scene.