Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तास्त्रिदशास्तेन साक्षात्कलयोनिना । जग्मुर्मेरुं प्रणम्येशं मर्करूपेण संवृताः

Transliteration

ityuktāstridaśāstena sākṣātkalayoninā | jagmurmeruṃ praṇamyeśaṃ markarūpeṇa saṃvṛtāḥ

Translation

Thus instructed by him—Brahmā, the very source of the ages—the gods set out for Meru. Having bowed to the Lord, they went, concealed in the form of monkeys.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्ताः: having been told
• उक्ताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन — Past passive participle, nominative plural (having been addressed/told)

• त्रिदशाः: the gods
• त्रिदशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन — Nominative plural (the gods)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by him)

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: directly, in person)

• कल-योनिना: by the one who is the source of (a) kalā (i.e., the Moon/Śiva epithet, context-dependent)
• कल-योनिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन — Instrumental singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘कलायाः योनि’ (source/origin of the digit/part)

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person plural (went)

• मेरुम्: to Mount Meru
• मेरुम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन — Accusative singular (to Meru)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + √नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): having bowed

• ईशम्: the Lord
• ईशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन — Accusative singular (the Lord)

• मर्क-रूपेण: in the form of a monkey
• मर्क-रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Mode/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन — Instrumental singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘मर्कस्य रूपम्’ (in the form of a monkey)

• संवृताः: disguised, covered
• संवृताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवृत (कृदन्त; सम् + √वृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन — Past passive participle, nominative plural (covered/disguised)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods, instructed by Brahmā, bow to the Lord and proceed to Mount Meru, cleverly concealed in monkey forms—an evocative blend of reverence and covert mission.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tridaśa (Devas)
• Meru
• Īśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even celestial beings adopt humility and strategic means to serve dharma, first bowing to the Lord before acting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Meru is referenced as the divine axis-mountain, but this verse does not present a tīrtha-phala (pilgrimage merit) passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; only the devotional act of praṇāma (bowing) to Īśa is described.