Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

शिवेन सह संग्रामो ह्यभूत्तस्य महात्मनः । अज्ञानात्प्रकृतो भूत्वा बहुकालं निरन्तरम्

Transliteration

śivena saha saṃgrāmo hyabhūttasya mahātmanaḥ | ajñānātprakṛto bhūtvā bahukālaṃ nirantaram

Translation

En vérité, ce grand être en vint à livrer bataille à Śiva ; car, par ignorance, s’étant trouvé lié à la Prakṛti, il persista ainsi sans relâche durant longtemps.

Word by Word

• शिवेन: with Śiva / by Śiva
• शिवेन: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश/संबन्धबोधक (preposition-like indeclinable)

• संग्रामः: battle
• संग्रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• अभूत्: occurred, happened
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance, due to ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रकृतः: arisen, set in motion
• प्रकृतः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) → प्रकृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (अर्थः: प्रवृत्त/उत्पन्न)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakāla-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• बहुकालम्: for a long time
• बहुकालम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (extent of time)

• निरन्तरम्: continuously
• निरन्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Lomaśa (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prolonged, relentless battle between the great-souled Gaṇeśa (under prakṛti-bandha) and Śiva, framed as a tragic misunderstanding born of ignorance—martial energy with undertone of impending reconciliation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇeśa
• Prakṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ignorance (ajñāna) can veil even a mighty being, producing conflict; liberation comes through recognition of Śiva’s true nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa, tied to the Kedāra sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it frames a moral-cosmological lesson through story.