Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

पार्वत्याभिहितं प्राह कस्मिन्कार्यांतरे सति । मया नियुक्तेऽभिनये यत्र साहाय्यकारिणः

Transliteration

pārvatyābhihitaṃ prāha kasminkāryāṃtare sati | mayā niyukte'bhinaye yatra sāhāyyakāriṇaḥ

Translation

Er sprach, wie es Pārvatī übermittelt hatte: „Zu welchem anderen Zweck seid ihr gekommen? In dem von Mir bestimmten Wirken sollt ihr Meine Helfer sein.“

Word by Word

• पार्वत्या: by Pārvatī
• पार्वत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अभिहितम्: what was said
• अभिहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used as noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह्/अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कस्मिन्: in what
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कार्य-अन्तरे: in another task/matter
• कार्य-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कार्यस्य अन्तरम्)

• सति: when/while (it) is
• सति: Kriya-viseshana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: सत्-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle), सप्तमी-एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative absolute)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• नियुक्ते: when (I am) appointed/engaged
• नियुक्ते: Kriya-viseshana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), सप्तमी, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative absolute)

• अभिनये: in the enactment/undertaking
• अभिनये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• यत्र: wherein
• यत्र: Sambandha (Relative connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb), ‘where/wherein’

• साहाय्यकारिणः: helpers, those who assist
• साहाय्यकारिणः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (साहाय्यस्य कारिणः)

Speaker

Hara/Śiva (reported by narrator Gālava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara-parvata (contextual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, recalling Pārvatī’s message, addresses the assembled devas and attendants, asking why they have come except to aid in the divinely appointed performance.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śiva (Hara/Maheśāna)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine work unfolds through coordinated roles—grace operates via appointed duties, even among gods, under the Lord’s direction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No new tīrtha is mentioned; the scene remains within the Mandarācala setting introduced earlier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse concerns purpose and participation in a divinely appointed undertaking (abhinaya).