Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

शंखेन भोगिवर्येण सेवितं चांघ्रिपंकजम् । धृतराष्ट्रेण च तथा तक्षकेण विशेषतः । तथा पद्मेन महा शेषेणापि विशेषतः

Transliteration

śaṃkhena bhogivaryeṇa sevitaṃ cāṃghripaṃkajam | dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa ca tathā takṣakeṇa viśeṣataḥ | tathā padmena mahā śeṣeṇāpi viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Ses pieds de lotus étaient servis avec vénération par le grand nāga Śaṅkha; de même par Dhṛtarāṣṭra—tout particulièrement par Takṣaka—et aussi par Padma et le grand Śeṣa, d’une manière éminente.

Word by Word

• शंखेन: by Śaṅkha (serpent)
• शंखेन: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भोगिवर्येण: by the best of serpents
• भोगिवर्येण: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; तत्पुरुषः (भोगिनां वर्यः)

• सेवितम्: served
• सेवितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक — Indeclinable; conjunction ‘and’

• अङ्घ्रिपङ्कजम्: the lotus-like feet
• अङ्घ्रिपङ्कजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्कज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; तत्पुरुषः (अङ्घ्र्योः पङ्कजम्)

• धृतराष्ट्रेण: by Dhṛtarāṣṭra (serpent)
• धृतराष्ट्रेण: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक — conjunction

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — adverb

• तक्षकेण: by Takṣaka
• तक्षकेण: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable adverb ‘especially’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — adverb

• पद्मेन: by Padma (serpent)
• पद्मेन: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महा: great
• महा: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद)
• Form: अव्यय; पूर्वपद-रूपेण विशेषणार्थक — Indeclinable used as preposed intensifier ‘great’

• शेषेण: by Śeṣa
• शेषेण: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चय — particle ‘also/even’

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — adverb

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kedāra-khaṇḍa audience within the frame dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close devotional tableau: Śiva’s lotus-feet in the foreground, attended by serpent-kings—Śaṅkha, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Takṣaka, Padma, and mighty Śeṣa—coiled in reverence, hoods raised like canopies.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śaṅkha (Nāga)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Nāga)
• Takṣaka
• Padma (Nāga)
• Śeṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mighty serpent-kings exemplify humility through pāda-sevā—devotion expressed as reverent service to the Lord’s feet.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Śaiva sanctity is implied: the Lord worshipped by cosmic Nāgas is the same Śiva revered at Kedāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, pāda-pūjā (veneration of the Lord’s feet) is praised through the example of the Nāgas.