Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

हे देवाः श्रूयतां वाक्यं प्रस्तावसदृशं महत् । शैलादिं च पुरस्कृत्य सर्वे यूयं त्वरान्विताः । अवतारान्प्रकुर्वन्तु वानरीं तनुमाश्रिताः

Transliteration

he devāḥ śrūyatāṃ vākyaṃ prastāvasadṛśaṃ mahat | śailādiṃ ca puraskṛtya sarve yūyaṃ tvarānvitāḥ | avatārānprakurvantu vānarīṃ tanumāśritāḥ

Translation

Wahai para Dewa, dengarkan sabda agung yang sesuai dengan saat ini. Dengan Śaila dan yang lainnya sebagai pemimpin, hendaklah kalian semua dengan segera mewujudkan avatāra, mengambil raga kaum kera.

Word by Word

• हे: O!
• हे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: he (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• वाक्यम्: statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रस्ताव-सदृशम्: befitting the occasion
• प्रस्ताव-सदृशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prastāva + sadṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वाक्यम्)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वाक्यम्)

• शैल-आदिम्: the mountain and others (as foremost)
• शैल-आदिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed in front / having honored
• पुरस्कृत्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: puraskṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाले (having done previously)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yūṣmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• त्वरा-अन्विताः: endowed with haste
• त्वरा-अन्विताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvarā + anvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying यूयम्/सर्वे)

• अवतारान्: incarnations/descents
• अवतारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avatāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रकुर्वन्तु: let them undertake/perform
• प्रकुर्वन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• वानरीम्: monkey-like (female-form adjective)
• वानरीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vānarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तनुम्)

• तनुम्: body/form
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आश्रिताः: having taken refuge in / having assumed
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + śri (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगार्थे (used adjectivally of the subject)

Speaker

Vāsudeva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (narrative setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly of sages/pilgrims (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial assembly where a commanding deity instructs the devas to take vānarī forms, with Śaila and other leaders foregrounded; sense of haste and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Devas
• Śaila (as named in verse)
• Vānara (monkey-kind)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through coordinated divine effort; even gods accept humble forms to serve a righteous purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the verse is part of Kedārakhaṇḍa’s narrative flow rather than a tīrtha-phalāśruti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a strategic command (ājñā) about taking forms to accomplish a cosmic task.