Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तः स रुद्रेण महाकालो मुदान्वितः । पपात दंडवद्भूमौ भक्त्या परमया युतः

Transliteration

evamuktaḥ sa rudreṇa mahākālo mudānvitaḥ | papāta daṃḍavadbhūmau bhaktyā paramayā yutaḥ

Translation

Ainsi interpellé par Rudra, Mahākāla, rempli de joie, tomba à terre tel un bâton, animé d’une dévotion suprême.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha/Adverbial (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• उक्तः: having been addressed
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle) ‘said/addressed’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रुद्रेण: by Rudra
• रुद्रेण: Karana/Agent in passive (करण/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः महा-काल (कर्मधारयः)

• मुदान्वितः: filled with joy
• मुदान्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ/√अन्वि धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-क्त ‘अन्वित’; समासः मुदा-अन्वित (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: ‘endowed with joy’)

• पपात: fell down
• पपात: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दण्डवत्: like a staff (prostrate)
• दण्डवत्: Sambandha/Adverbial (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner) ‘like a staff’

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• परमया: supreme
• परमया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘परम’ स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘भक्त्या’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• युतः: endowed (with)
• युतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √युज् (धातु; ‘to join’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle) ‘joined/endowed’

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-audience / pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee, overwhelmed with joy, falls fully prostrate like a staff before Rudra; Śiva stands radiant, gaṇas watching approvingly; dust and sacred ash subtly rise from the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion expresses itself as humility—complete surrender at Śiva’s feet.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra (Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape) within the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights daṇḍavat-praṇāma (full prostration) as a devotional act.