Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

गुरुं पुरस्कृत्य तदाज्ञया ते गणाः सुराणां बहवस्तदानीम् । भुवं समागत्य च मध्यदेशमूचुश्च सर्वे परमास्त्रयुक्ताः

Transliteration

guruṃ puraskṛtya tadājñayā te gaṇāḥ surāṇāṃ bahavastadānīm | bhuvaṃ samāgatya ca madhyadeśamūcuśca sarve paramāstrayuktāḥ

Translation

Plaçant leur précepteur en tête et agissant selon son ordre, de nombreuses troupes des dieux descendirent alors sur la terre, au Madhyadeśa; et tous prirent la parole, munis des armes suprêmes.

Word by Word

• gurum: the teacher/guru
• gurum: Karma (Object of puraskṛtya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• puraskṛtya: having put (him) in front / having honoured
• puraskṛtya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puras + kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: कृ (करणे) उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद: पुरस् — ‘having placed in front/honoured’

• tad-ājñayā: by his command
• tad-ājñayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘tasya ājñayā’ (by his command)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• gaṇāḥ: groups/troops
• gaṇāḥ: Karta (Apposition to te)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• surāṇām: of the gods
• surāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• bahavaḥ: many
• bahavaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of gaṇāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tadānīm: at that time
• tadānīm: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadānīm (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• bhuvam: the earth
• bhuvam: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• samāgatya: having arrived
• samāgatya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam + ā + gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: गम् (गतौ) उपसर्ग: सम्, आ — ‘having come/arrived’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• madhyadeśam: the middle country/region
• madhyadeśam: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘madhyaḥ deśaḥ’ (the middle region)

• ūcuḥ: said/spoke
• ūcuḥ: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Apposition to gaṇāḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• parama-astra-yuktāḥ: equipped with supreme weapons
• parama-astra-yuktāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of sarve/gaṇāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + astra (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त/ppp)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘paramaiḥ astraiḥ yuktāḥ’ (equipped with supreme weapons)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Madhyadeśa (regional sacred geography)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divine hosts descend to earth, their guru at the forefront; they arrive in Madhyadeśa and speak in unison, each bearing supreme astras—an organized, luminous landing with disciplined formation.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Guru (preceptor, unspecified)
• Madhyadeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded through disciplined action under a guru’s guidance; authority and responsibility work together.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Madhyadeśa (the ‘middle country’) is mentioned as a sacred-geographical theatre of events, within the Kedāra-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes obedience to the guru and readiness with divine weapons.