Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अभिषेक्ष्यामहे त्वां च तत्र नो द्रष्टुमर्हसि । यथा हस्तिपदे सर्वपदांतर्भाव इष्यते

Transliteration

abhiṣekṣyāmahe tvāṃ ca tatra no draṣṭumarhasi | yathā hastipade sarvapadāṃtarbhāva iṣyate

Translation

“We shall consecrate you; yet you should not look there (upon that rite). For just as within an elephant’s footprint all other footprints are said to be contained…”

Word by Word

• abhiṣekṣyāmahe: we shall consecrate
• abhiṣekṣyāmahe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sic (धातु) + abhi- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• naḥ: of us, our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अस्मद्-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; 'our'

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• arhasi: you are fit/you should
• arhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• hastipade: in an elephant’s footprint
• hastipade: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hastipada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः: हस्ते पदम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• sarva-pada-antarbhāvaḥ: the inclusion of all footprints
• sarva-pada-antarbhāvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक) + antarbhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः: सर्वेषां पदानाम् अन्तर्भावः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• iṣyate: is accepted, is held to be
• iṣyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is accepted/considered)

Speaker

Śakra (Indra) and the Devas (within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests prepare to consecrate a leader; one priest raises a hand in caution, instructing the consecrand to avert the gaze. In the background, an elephant footprint motif is subtly shown in sand, symbolizing containment of all paths.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Devas
• Elephant footprint simile

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts can concentrate many merits into one locus; dharma also includes ritual etiquette and prescribed conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single named tīrtha in this verse; it introduces the idea of ‘all tīrthas contained’ (sarva-pada-antarbhāva) akin to later sarva-tīrtha themes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During the devas’ abhiṣeka of Skanda, he is instructed not to look at the rite—an element of ritual observance.