Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तथा प्रकृतिपुंसौ च ऐकपद्येन नान्यथा । दंपती तौ गजारूढौ शुशुभाते महाप्रभौ

Transliteration

tathā prakṛtipuṃsau ca aikapadyena nānyathā | daṃpatī tau gajārūḍhau śuśubhāte mahāprabhau

Translation

Ainsi, Prakṛti et Puruṣa reposent sur un même fondement, et non autrement. Ce couple puissant et rayonnant resplendissait, monté sur un éléphant.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that way
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: 'thus/in that manner')

• प्रकृति-पुंसौ: Prakṛti and Puruṣa (the pair)
• प्रकृति-पुंसौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास; पुल्लिङ्ग (समाहार/युगलवाचक), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

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

• ऐकपद्येन: with one footstep / in a single stride
• ऐकपद्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐकपद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb 'otherwise')

• दंपती: the couple (husband and wife)
• दंपती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• गज-आरूढौ: mounted on an elephant
• गज-आरूढौ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• शुशुभाते: shone, appeared splendid
• शुशुभाते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual), परस्मैपद

• महा-प्रभौ: very mighty, great lords
• महा-प्रभौ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant divine couple embodying Prakṛti and Puruṣa appears as a majestic pair, seated together on an elephant, shining amid a Himalayan sacred assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī
• Prakṛti
• Puruṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine couple symbolizes the cosmic unity of consciousness and nature (Puruṣa–Prakṛti), harmonized in sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, framed as a sacred stage where cosmic truths are narrated through Śiva’s līlā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is symbolic theology and auspicious royal imagery of the procession.