Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन माननीयो वृषध्वजः । अमानितान्महेशात्त्वां महद्भयमुपस्थितम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena mānanīyo vṛṣadhvajaḥ | amānitānmaheśāttvāṃ mahadbhayamupasthitam

Translation

«C’est pourquoi, de tous tes efforts, Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, dont l’étendard porte le taureau) doit être honoré. Parce que Maheśa a été offensé, une grande crainte s’est désormais abattue sur toi».

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• sarva-prayatnena: with all effort
• sarva-prayatnena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarva + prayatna (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverbial instrumental: ‘with all effort’)

• mānanīyaḥ: should be honored
• mānanīyaḥ: Vidhēya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānanīya (कृदन्त; √man मन् ‘to honor/think’ + अनीयर्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• vṛṣa-dhvajaḥ: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, whose banner is the bull)
• vṛṣa-dhvajaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: वृषस्य ध्वजः (epithet of Śiva)

• amānitāt: from (your) not honoring
• amānitāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-mānita (कृदन्त; √man/मान् + क्त, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; ‘from (having) not honored’ (cause)

• maheśāt: from Maheśa (Śiva)
• maheśāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: द्वितीय-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• upasthitam: has arisen / is present
• upasthitam: Vidhēya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√sthā (कृदन्त; √sthā स्था + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृत् (past participle)

Speaker

Viṣṇu (counseling Dakṣa; inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A commanding image of Śiva as Vṛṣadhvaja—bull-banner visible, trident raised in calm authority—while an anxious assembly offers flowers and water; the atmosphere shifts from dread to restored order as worship resumes.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣadhvaja
• Maheśa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor to Śiva safeguards spiritual and worldly welfare; disrespect to the Lord precipitates danger.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedārnāth) is the implied sacred landscape of Kedārakhaṇḍa, where Śiva’s honor is central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is explicit: perform māna/pūjā—honor Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva) with full effort.