Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

प्रणम्य ते महेशानं तस्थुः प्रांजलयोऽग्रतः । तानुवाच सुरान्सर्वान्हरो दृष्ट्वा समागतान्

Transliteration

praṇamya te maheśānaṃ tasthuḥ prāṃjalayo'grataḥ | tānuvāca surānsarvānharo dṛṣṭvā samāgatān

Translation

Nachdem sie sich vor Maheśāna (Śiva) verneigt hatten, standen sie mit gefalteten Händen vor Ihm. Als Hara alle versammelten Götter sah, sprach Er sie an.

Word by Word

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having bowed’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेशानम्: Maheshāna (Śiva)
• महेशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्थुः: stood
• तस्थुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्राञ्जलयः: with folded hands
• प्राञ्जलयः: Karta (Appositional to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (hands folded)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘in front’

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• उवाच: said, spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुरान्: the gods
• सुरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having seen’

• समागतान्: assembled, arrived
• समागतान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (to सुरान्)

Speaker

Gālava (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandarācala (contextual)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Anagha/suvrata interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods bow to Maheśāna and stand before him with folded hands; Śiva, seeing them assembled, begins to speak—an iconic ‘divine audience’ tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna
• Hara
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence precedes revelation: humility (praṇāma, prāñjali) is shown as the proper approach to divine instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting continues from Mandarācala; no additional tīrtha is newly specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The devotional gesture of praṇāma (bowing) and standing with folded hands is exemplified.