Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

अनेकैर्मौक्तिकैर्युक्ता मुण्डमालाऽभवत्तदा । ये सर्पा ह्यंगभूताश्च ते सर्वे तत्क्षणादिव । बभूवुर्मडनान्येव जातरूपमयानि च

Transliteration

anekairmauktikairyuktā muṇḍamālā'bhavattadā | ye sarpā hyaṃgabhūtāśca te sarve tatkṣaṇādiva | babhūvurmaḍanānyeva jātarūpamayāni ca

Translation

Alors la guirlande de crânes se trouva sertie de nombreuses perles. Et les serpents qui formaient ses ornements mêmes—à l’instant—se changèrent eux aussi en parures d’or.

Word by Word

• anekaiḥ: with many
• anekaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Instrumental Plural)

• mauktikaiḥ: pearls
• mauktikaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauktika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Instrumental Plural)

• yuktā: adorned/connected
• yuktā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yuj (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Feminine Nom Singular)

• muṇḍa-mālā: garland of skulls
• muṇḍa-mālā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muṇḍa + mālā (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Feminine Nom Singular)

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (Imperfect, 3rd sg)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• ye: which/who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine Nom Plural)

• sarpāḥ: snakes
• sarpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine Nom Plural)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• aṅga-bhūtāḥ: having become limbs (limb-like)
• aṅga-bhūtāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṅga + bhūta (√bhū + ta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine Nom Plural); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine Nom Plural)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine Nom Plural)

• tat-kṣaṇāt: from that very moment
• tat-kṣaṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Ablative Singular)

• iva: as if
• iva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्ययम् (comparative particle)

• babhūvuḥ: became
• babhūvuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परिपूर्ण-भूत), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (Perfect, 3rd pl)

• maḍanāni: ornaments
• maḍanāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maḍana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Neuter Nom/Acc Plural)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• jāta-rūpa-mayāni: made of gold
• jāta-rūpa-mayāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāta-rūpa + maya (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Neuter Nom/Acc Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Instantaneous metamorphosis: Śiva’s skull-garland gleams with pearls; serpents coiled as ornaments flash and become golden adornments; sages look on in astonishment as divine radiance floods the shrine-space.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Muṇḍamālā
• Serpents (Nāga-ornaments)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s terrifying emblems also shine as auspicious splendor—devotion reveals the divine beauty within the fearsome.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra region (Kedārakhaṇḍa), where Śiva’s majesty is celebrated through sacred narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct injunction; the verse poetically depicts Śiva’s alankāra (iconic adornment) as part of his glorification.