Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अनादिरंतरहितः शिवः शोणचलाकृतिः । युवयोस्तपसा देव वरदानाय संस्थितः

Transliteration

anādiraṃtarahitaḥ śivaḥ śoṇacalākṛtiḥ | yuvayostapasā deva varadānāya saṃsthitaḥ

Translation

Śiva—sans commencement et sans aucune division intérieure—demeure sous la forme de Śoṇācala ; et, ô Seigneur, par la puissance de vos austérités, il s’y tient pour accorder des grâces.

Word by Word

• अनादिः: beginningless
• अनादिः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अन्तरहितः: without interval; uninterrupted
• अन्तरहितः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर-हित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (अन्तरं नास्ति यस्य/अन्तर-रहितः)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शोणचलाकृतिः: having the form of the red mountain
• शोणचलाकृतिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोण-अचल-आकृति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शोण-अचलस्य आकृतिः)

• युवयोः: of you two
• युवयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचन (Gen./Loc., Dual); अत्र षष्ठी (of you two)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• वरदानाय: for granting a boon
• वरदानाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient-purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-दान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वरस्य दानम्)

• संस्थितः: has stood / is stationed
• संस्थितः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; स्थित-भावः (has taken position)

Speaker

Sanaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śoṇācala / Arunācala

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Deva addressed as ‘dev(a)’ in verse; contextually the Lord of the kṣetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A monumental red mountain shaped like a liṅga/ācala; within its glow, a subtle Śiva form (third eye, crescent moon) appears as light. A devotee-sage indicates that the formless has taken this form due to tapas, with boon-granting posture implied.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śoṇācala (Aruṇācala)
• Tapas
• Boons (Vara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred site is a theophany: Śiva himself abides as the hill, accessible through tapas and devotion, granting spiritual and worldly boons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śoṇācala/Aruṇācala (Śoṇaśaila).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as a power that draws divine presence; no specific vow or rite is detailed.