Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

प्राप्य तं शैलराजानं हंसस्यंदनमास्थितः । उवाच तारकं देवो गिरा मधुरया तदा

Transliteration

prāpya taṃ śailarājānaṃ haṃsasyaṃdanamāsthitaḥ | uvāca tārakaṃ devo girā madhurayā tadā

Translation

Parvenu auprès de ce roi des montagnes, le dieu (Brahmā), assis sur son char au cygne, s’adressa alors à Tāraka d’une voix suave.

Word by Word

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prāp (प्राप्) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having reached)

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śailarājānam: the king of mountains
• śailarājānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘शैलानां राजा’)

• haṃsa: of a swan
• haṃsa: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (in compound relation)

• syandanam: chariot/vehicle
• syandanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: syandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यान’ (vehicle)

• āsthitaḥ: having mounted
• āsthitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था) + ā- (उपसर्ग) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘mounted/ascended’

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tārakam: to Tāraka
• tārakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• devaḥ: the god (Brahmā)
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• girā: with speech/voice
• girā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणवाचक (instrumental)

• madhurayā: sweet
• madhurayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying girā)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śailarāja-śikhara (generic)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā arrives seated on a swan-chariot (haṃsa-syandana), descending upon the king of mountains; he turns toward Tāraka and speaks with gentle authority.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tāraka
• Haṃsa (swan vehicle)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine response to tapas is portrayed as orderly and deliberate—Brahmā approaches and speaks before granting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘king of mountains’ and its summit are highlighted as a divine meeting-ground.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the ensuing boon-dialogue.