Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पुंसो धनूंषि चोत्कृष्य स्थावरा जंगमोपमाः । तथाश्वाः सादिभिश्चैव गजाश्च गजसादिभिः

Transliteration

puṃso dhanūṃṣi cotkṛṣya sthāvarā jaṃgamopamāḥ | tathāśvāḥ sādibhiścaiva gajāśca gajasādibhiḥ

Translation

Los arcos de los varones se alzaban en alto, y aun las figuras inmóviles parecían seres vivos en movimiento. Los caballos aparecían con sus jinetes, y los elefantes también con sus conductores.

Word by Word

• पुंसः: of a man
• पुंसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), एकवचन — Genitive singular ‘of a man’

• धनूंषि: bows
• धनूंषि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural ‘bows’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — ‘and’

• उत्कृष्य: having drawn out
• उत्कृष्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + कृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having drawn out/pulled up’

• स्थावराः: immovable (ones)
• स्थावराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural (immovables)

• जङ्गमोपमाः: like moving beings
• जङ्गमोपमाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक) + उपमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘having the likeness of moving beings’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जङ्गमस्य उपमा)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — ‘likewise’

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• सादिभिः: with riders
• सादिभिः: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural ‘with riders/attendants’ (sādi-)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — ‘and’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — ‘indeed’

• गजाः: elephants
• गजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — ‘and’

• गजसादिभिः: with elephant-riders
• गजसादिभिः: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + सादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘with elephant-riders’ (गजानां सादयः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtyard where statues or crafted figures of archers hold bows aloft; horses with riders and elephants with mahouts appear ready to move, forming a protective pageant around the sacred center.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s glory is conveyed through an overwhelming vision that turns the mind toward the divine source behind all power and order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakṣetra in the Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it focuses on description of the wondrous scene.