Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

उपविष्टोथ गांगेयो ह्यहोरात्रोषितस्तदा । शाखो विशाखोऽतिबलः षण्मुखोऽसौ महाबलः

Transliteration

upaviṣṭotha gāṃgeyo hyahorātroṣitastadā | śākho viśākho'tibalaḥ ṣaṇmukho'sau mahābalaḥ

Translation

Alors le fils du Gange s'assit là et resta un jour et une nuit entiers. Ce suprêmement fort — Śākha et Viśākha — était le puissant Seigneur à six visages.

Word by Word

• उपविष्टः: seated
• उपविष्टः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

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

• गाङ्गेयः: the son of Ganga (Gāṅgeya)
• गाङ्गेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + एय (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (patronymic/derived: 'of Ganga')

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

• अहोरात्रोषितः: having stayed for a day and night
• अहोरात्रोषितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहोरात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उषित (कृदन्त; वस्/उष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—अहोरात्रे उषितः (having stayed day and night)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• शाखः: Śākha
• शाखः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (one of the forms/names)

• विशाखः: Viśākha
• विशाखः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम

• अतिबलः: exceedingly strong
• अतिबलः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-भाव) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—अतिशयेन बलवान्

• षण्मुखः: the six-faced one
• षण्मुखः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• असौ: this one, he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महाबलः: very mighty
• महाबलः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-tīra (Ṣaṇmukha-āvasthāna-smṛti)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The six-faced child-lord sits calmly by the Gaṅgā, radiating immense strength, remaining through day and night; subtle indications of Śākha and Viśākha as attendant aspects or as twin emanations flank him.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Viśākha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse emphasizes Skanda’s divine majesty through epithets and the sanctity of his presence at the Gaṅgā-tīra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā’s bank is again central, presented as the stage for the deity’s manifestation and līlā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is explicitly stated; the focus is descriptive (presence, epithets, and sacred setting).