Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

काकपादस्तता षष्ट्या षष्ट्या संतानको गणः । महाबलश्च नवभिर्मधुपिंगश्च पिंगलः

Transliteration

kākapādastatā ṣaṣṭyā ṣaṣṭyā saṃtānako gaṇaḥ | mahābalaśca navabhirmadhupiṃgaśca piṃgalaḥ

Translation

Kākapāda, then Tatā and Saṃtānaka—each accompanied by sixty attendants. Mahābala came with nine, and Madhupiṅga together with Piṅgala.

Word by Word

• काकपादः: Kākapāda (a name)
• काकपादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकपाद (प्रातिपदिक; काक + पाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तता: then/also
• तता: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तता (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/अनुक्रम (particle: 'then/also')

• षष्ट्या: by/with sixty
• षष्ट्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• षष्ट्या: by/with sixty
• षष्ट्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• संतानकः: Saṃtānaka (a name)
• संतानकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतानक (प्रातिपदिक; संतान)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गणः: Gaṇa (a name/group)
• गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाबलः: Mahābala (a name)
• महाबलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबल (प्रातिपदिक; महा + बल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• नवभिः: by/with nine
• नवभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मधुपिंगः: Madhupiṅga (a name)
• मधुपिंगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुपिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; मधु + पिङ्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• पिंगलः: Piṅgala (a name)
• पिंगलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mid-tier commanders arrive with measured contingents: Kākapāda, Tatā, and Saṃtānaka each with sixty; Mahābala with nine; Madhupiṅga with Piṅgala—suggesting specialized squads (scouts, guardians, standard-bearers).

Characters & Entities

• Kākapāda
• Tatā
• Saṃtānaka
• Mahābala
• Madhupiṅga
• Piṅgala
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It celebrates Śiva’s vast divine retinue, implying that devotion to Śaṅkara is supported by innumerable cosmic forces aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a gaṇa-catalogue within the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa’s celebratory narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; the verse is descriptive, listing gaṇas and their accompanying numbers.