Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सारजिज्ञासया तस्थावेकांगुष्ठः शतं समाः । ततः प्रोवाच तं दिव्या वाणी कात्यायन श्रृणु

Transliteration

sārajijñāsayā tasthāvekāṃguṣṭhaḥ śataṃ samāḥ | tataḥ provāca taṃ divyā vāṇī kātyāyana śrṛṇu

Translation

Longing to know the very essence, he stood poised upon a single toe for a hundred years. Then a divine voice spoke to him: “Kātyāyana, listen.”

Word by Word

• सार-जिज्ञासया: by the desire to know the essence
• सार-जिज्ञासया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक) + जिज्ञासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सारस्य जिज्ञासा) — Instrumental: 'by/with the desire to know the essence'

• तस्थौ: stood, remained
• तस्थौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एक-अङ्गुष्ठः: (he) with one thumb (as support)
• एक-अङ्गुष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकः अङ्गुष्ठः) — 'one-thumbed/with one thumb (as support)'

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम्

• समाः: years
• समाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; 'years' (कालवाचक)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः: प्र-

• तम्: to him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिव्या: divine
• दिव्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाणी-विशेषण)

• वाणी: voice
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कात्यायन: O Kātyāyana
• कात्यायन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कात्यायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; नाम

• श्रृणु: listen
• श्रृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suśravā (narrating Kātyāyana’s account)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone sage (Kātyāyana) stands on one toe in a forested hermitage, body austere and radiant with tapas; above, an unseen divine presence manifests as luminous sound/ākāśa-vāṇī.

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyana
• Divyā Vāṇī (divine voice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere longing for dharma’s essence, supported by tapas and steadiness, draws divine guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it narrates the preparatory austerity leading to a location-based instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is described—standing on one toe—though not presented as a general prescription for all.