Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

स्थितं कैलासशिखरे हिमवंतं नगोत्तमम् । अहिभिर्बहुभिश्चैव संवृतं च महाप्रभम्

Transliteration

sthitaṃ kailāsaśikhare himavaṃtaṃ nagottamam | ahibhirbahubhiścaiva saṃvṛtaṃ ca mahāprabham

Translation

Il vit Himavān, le plus excellent des monts, se tenant sur le sommet du Kailāsa—puissant et rayonnant—entouré de nombreux serpents.

Word by Word

• sthitam: situated
• sthitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘standing/situated’ (as object-description)

• kailāsa-śikhare: on the peak of Kailāsa
• kailāsa-śikhare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kailāsa (कैलास) + śikhara (शिखर)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: कैलासस्य शिखरम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• himavantam: Himavān (the Himalaya)
• himavantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: himavat (हिमवत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• naga-uttamam: the best of mountains
• naga-uttamam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naga (नग) + uttama (उत्तम)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/निर्धारण: नगानाम् उत्तमम्); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; हिमवन्तम् इति विशेषण

• ahibhiḥ: with serpents
• ahibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahi (अहि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• bahubhiḥ: many
• bahubhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (बहु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘many’ (qualifying ahibhiḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• saṃvṛtam: surrounded
• saṃvṛtam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-vṛ (सं + वृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘covered/surrounded’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• mahā-prabham: of great splendor
• mahā-prabham: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (महा) + prabha (प्रभ)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; हिमवन्तम् इति विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, mighty Himavān is beheld standing on Kailāsa’s summit, encircled by many serpents—an awe-filled cosmic mountain vision.

Characters & Entities

• Kailāsa
• Himavān (Himalaya)
• Serpents (Ahi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are depicted as living theologies—Kailāsa and Himālaya embody divine order and auspicious power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa, the transcendent abode of Śiva, is highlighted as the sacred summit within the Himalayan tīrtha-world of Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a māhātmya-style description establishing the sanctity of the setting.