Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कथयस्व महाप्राज्ञ देवदेवस्य शूलिनः । महिमानं महाभाग ध्यानार्चनसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathayasva mahāprājña devadevasya śūlinaḥ | mahimānaṃ mahābhāga dhyānārcanasamanvitam

Translation

Les sages dirent : Ô très sage, ô bienheureux, raconte-nous la grandeur de Śūlin, le Dieu des dieux, avec les disciplines du dhyāna (méditation) et de l’arcana (adoration).

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• कथयस्व: tell (us)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Request/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; नामधातु from कथा)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महाप्राज्ञ: O very wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन (address)

• देव-देवस्य: of the God of gods
• देव-देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—देवानां देवः (god of gods)

• शूलिनः: of the trident-bearer
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेष्य (epithet)

• महिमानम्: greatness, glory
• महिमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महाभाग: O noble one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• ध्यान-अर्चन-समन्वितम्: accompanied by meditation and worship
• ध्यान-अर्चन-समन्वितम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्+अन्वि/सम्+इ?)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—ध्यानं च अर्चनं च ताभ्यां समन्वितम् (endowed with meditation and worship)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages with folded hands addressing Lomāśa; in the visual imagination, Śiva as Śūlin is evoked—trident-bearing, serene, Himalayan aura—hovering as a devotional vision above the assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śūlin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion seeks not only praise of Śiva but also right practice—meditation and worship—joined to that praise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kedārakhaṇḍa, associated with Kedāra/Kedārnāth sacred geography within the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditative contemplation) and arcana (formal worship) are explicitly requested as part of Śiva-upāsanā.