Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

पूजयित्वा यथान्यायं दंडवत्पतितो भुवि

Transliteration

pūjayitvā yathānyāyaṃ daṃḍavatpatito bhuvi

Translation

Après avoir rendu le culte selon la règle prescrite, il se jeta à terre en prosternation totale (daṇḍavat).

Word by Word

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive); णिच् (causative stem pūjay-); (having worshipped)

• यथा-न्यायम्: as prescribed/according to rule
• यथा-न्यायम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable adverb: according to rule)

• दण्डवत्: prostrate (like a stick)
• दण्डवत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (adverb: like a staff; prostrate)

• पतितः: having fallen
• पतितः: Karta (Subject; participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (having fallen)

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After worship, the devotee stretches fully on the ground in daṇḍavat before Śiva—body aligned like a staff, head bowed, offerings placed nearby, the sanctum implied.

Characters & Entities

• Kirāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship culminates in humility—complete surrender expressed through full prostration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, where correct worship and reverential conduct are upheld as sources of merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā according to rule (yathā-nyāya) and offer daṇḍavat praṇāma (full-body prostration).