Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पाशी च मकरा रूढो यमो महिषमेव च । प्रेतारूढो नैरृतः स्यादग्निर्बस्तगतो महान्

Transliteration

pāśī ca makarā rūḍho yamo mahiṣameva ca | pretārūḍho nairṛtaḥ syādagnirbastagato mahān

Translation

Varuṇa, pemegang pāśa (tali jerat), menunggang makara; Yama menunggang kerbau. Nairṛta menaiki preta, dan Agni yang agung melaju dengan menunggang kambing.

Word by Word

• पाशी: Pāśī (Varuṇa)
• पाशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• मकर-आरूढः: mounted on a makara
• मकर-आरूढः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; भूतकृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महिषम्: a buffalo
• महिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (particle of emphasis 'indeed/just')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• प्रेत-आरूढः: mounted on a preta (spirit)
• प्रेत-आरूढः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; भूतकृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नैरृतः: Nairṛta
• नैरृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्यात्: would be / is said to be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अग्निः: Agni
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बस्त-गतः: gone onto / mounted on a goat
• बस्त-गतः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु))
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; भूतकृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four formidable guardians arrive: Varuṇa with pāśa on a makara, Yama on a buffalo, Nairṛta on a preta-like mount, and Agni on a goat—forming a protective ring around the sacred gathering.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa
• Makara
• Yama
• Nairṛta
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the guardians who govern fear, death, and cosmic order participate in auspicious devotion, showing dharma’s all-encompassing harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, presented as a locus where the whole cosmic administration gathers in reverence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse enumerates deities and their vahanas as part of the procession.