Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सुरतेनैव महता तपसा हि समागमे । द्वयोः सुरतमारब्धं तद्द्वयोश्च तदाऽभवत्

Transliteration

suratenaiva mahatā tapasā hi samāgame | dvayoḥ suratamārabdhaṃ taddvayośca tadā'bhavat

Translation

Dans leur union, ce grand acte d’amour devint tel un tapas puissant; pour eux deux, le rite de l’union commença, et il s’accomplit véritablement alors entre eux.

Word by Word

• सुरतेन: by sexual union
• सुरतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agreeing with तपसा; Instrumental singular

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/indeed)

• समागमे: in the meeting/union
• समागमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in/at)

• द्वयोः: of the two
• द्वयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विवचनार्थे षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; Genitive dual (of the two)

• सुरतम्: sexual union
• सुरतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• आरब्धम्: was begun
• आरब्धम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; PPP agreeing with सुरतम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Anaphoric/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• द्वयोः: of the two
• द्वयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; Genitive dual

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

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अभवत्: became/occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva and Pārvatī in intimate divine union within a luminous Himalayan sanctum; the atmosphere is charged—love appearing as ascetic fire, with subtle cosmic tremors hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Purāṇic thought, even divine līlā can be tapas—an intense spiritual potency that shapes the cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Gandhamādana within the Kedāra sacred landscape, preparing the Mahatmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite for humans is prescribed; the verse frames a divine act as possessing tapas-like power.