Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

मध्ये व्रजन्महेंद्रोऽथ ऐरावतमुपास्थितः । शुभ्रेणो च्छ्रियमाणेन छत्रेण परमेण हि

Transliteration

madhye vrajanmaheṃdro'tha airāvatamupāsthitaḥ | śubhreṇo cchriyamāṇena chatreṇa parameṇa hi

Translation

Au cœur du cortège s’avançait Mahendra (Indra), assisté d’Airāvata, et ombragé par un suprême parasol blanc, tenu bien haut.

Word by Word

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• व्रजन्: going
• व्रजन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महेन्द्रः: Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'then/now')

• ऐरावतम्: Airāvata (Indra's elephant)
• ऐरावतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उपास्थितः: was present/attended
• उपास्थितः: Kriya (State/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) प्रयुक्तः विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शुभ्रेण: with a white
• शुभ्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to छत्रेण)

• उच्छ्रियमाणेन: being held aloft/raised
• उच्छ्रियमाणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-√श्रि (धातु) + उच्छ्रियमाण (कृदन्त; शानच्/मान)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/आत्मनेपदे मान-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present passive/medial participle), तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to छत्रेण)

• छत्रेण: by/with an umbrella
• छत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणवाचक

• परमेण: supreme/excellent
• परमेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to छत्रेण)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Mahendra) at the center of the moving host, mounted on Airāvata; a brilliant white parasol rises above, signaling celestial royalty within a Śaiva procession.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Mahendra)
• Airāvata
• Royal parasol (Chatra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even Indra’s royal emblems become offerings of honor—worldly sovereignty finds its true place in service to Mahādeva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Himalayan sacred setting, where divine beings assemble to honor Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes ceremonial honors (chatra, royal attendance) within a divine procession.