Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

महेशो हिमवद्द्रोण्यां तताप परमं तपः । सर्वैर्गणैः परिवृतो वीरभद्रादिभिस्तदा

Transliteration

maheśo himavaddroṇyāṃ tatāpa paramaṃ tapaḥ | sarvairgaṇaiḥ parivṛto vīrabhadrādibhistadā

Translation

Alors Maheśa accomplit l’austérité suprême dans une vallée de l’Himālaya, entouré en ce temps-là de tous ses gaṇas—menés par Vīrabhadra et d’autres.

Word by Word

• महेशः: Maheśa (Śiva)
• महेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हिमवत्-द्रोण्याम्: in the valley/basin of Himavat
• हिमवत्-द्रोण्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत्-द्रोणी (प्रातिपदिक; हिमवत् + द्रोणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तताप: performed (austerity), heated himself
• तताप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• परमम्: supreme, intense
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वैः: with all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गणैः)

• गणैः: attendant groups
• गणैः: Sahakari/Karana (Association/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/करण), बहुवचन

• परिवृतः: surrounded
• परिवृतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘surrounded’

• वीरभद्रादिभिः: by/with Vīrabhadra and others
• वीरभद्रादिभिः: Sahakari/Karana (Association/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; वीरभद्र + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ अन्तसमास (etc.)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himavad-droṇī tapas-sthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) audience in Kedārakhaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśa seated in deep meditation in a Himalayan valley; Vīrabhadra and gaṇas forming a protective semicircle; snow peaks, pine forests, and a still, charged atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Himavat/Himālaya
• Gaṇas
• Vīrabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the Supreme Lord exemplifies tapas, teaching that disciplined austerity sanctifies a place and elevates seekers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Himālaya valley setting within the Kedārakhaṇḍa context, pointing to the Kedāra sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the focus is on Śiva’s tapas as the source of sanctity.