Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सुरभिं चाह्वयित्वाथ तदोवाच शचीपतिः । कलेवरं दधीचस्य लिह्यास्त्वं वचनान्मम

Transliteration

surabhiṃ cāhvayitvātha tadovāca śacīpatiḥ | kalevaraṃ dadhīcasya lihyāstvaṃ vacanānmama

Translation

Alors le seigneur de Śacī (Indra) convoqua Surabhī et dit : « Sur ma parole, lèche le corps de Dadhīci jusqu'à ce qu'il soit propre. »

Word by Word

• सुरभिम्: Surabhi (the cow)
• सुरभिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आह्वयित्वा: having summoned/called
• आह्वयित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आह्वय् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having called)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person singular)

• शचीपतिः: the lord of Śacī (Indra)
• शचीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शची + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शच्याः पतिः) (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• कलेवरम्: body
• कलेवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• दधीचस्य: of Dadhīca
• दधीचस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• लिह्याः: lick (you should lick)
• लिह्याः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (2nd person singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषवाचक-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Nominative, Singular)

• वचनात्: from (my) command/at the word
• वचनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Genitive, Singular)

Speaker

Lomaśa (narrating); direct speech by Indra (Śacīpati)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Śacīpati) summons Surabhī and commands her to lick clean Dadhīci’s body—an austere, ritual-like preparation before forging divine weapons.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śacīpati)
• Surabhī
• Dadhīci
• Śacī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great cosmic tasks are carried forward through cooperation—saintly sacrifice joined with divine agency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred narrative frame, not a standalone tirtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual for devotees; it narrates a divine action (preparing the sage’s remains for a higher purpose).