Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

भरद्वाजादयो विप्राः शिवस्योद्वहनं प्रति । शाकिन्यो यातुधानाश्च वेताला ब्रह्मराक्षसाः

Transliteration

bharadvājādayo viprāḥ śivasyodvahanaṃ prati | śākinyo yātudhānāśca vetālā brahmarākṣasāḥ

Translation

Des sages tels que Bharadvāja et d’autres brāhmaṇas avançaient en escorte, au service du port cérémoniel de Śiva. Avec eux venaient aussi les śākinīs, les yātudhānas, les vetālas et les brahma-rākṣasas.

Word by Word

• भरद्वाज-आदयः: Bharadvāja and others
• भरद्वाज-आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरद्वाज (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'आदि'समासान्त (X and others)

• विप्राः: brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समानाधिकरण (apposition to भरद्वाजादयः)

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• उद्वहनम्: the carrying/transport
• उद्वहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्-√वह् (धातु) + उद्वहन (कृदन्त; ल्युट्/घञ्-भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियानाम (verbal noun/action noun)

• प्रति: towards/for
• प्रति: Pratiyogi (Direction/प्रति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय; दिशार्थ/प्रत्यर्थ (towards/with regard to)

• शाकिन्यः: Śākinīs
• शाकिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• यातुधानाः: yātudhānas (demons)
• यातुधानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातुधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• वेतालाः: vetālas (ghouls)
• वेतालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्म-राक्षसाः: brahma-rākṣasas (brahmin-ghouls)
• ब्रह्म-राक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand Śaiva procession: Bharadvāja and other brāhmaṇa sages in front/nearby, while behind/around move shadowy yet controlled beings—śākinīs, yātudhānas, vetālas, brahma-rākṣasas—drawn into Śiva’s orbit.

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• Śiva
• Śākinīs
• Yātudhānas
• Vetālas
• Brahma-rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s sovereignty encompasses all classes of beings—pure and fierce—showing his lordship over the seen and unseen worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedāranātha, as part of the Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s sacred-topography praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is descriptive of attendants in Śiva’s procession.