Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 153

Devanagari script

एभिरुक्ता तदा तन्वी पार्वती तपसि स्थिता । उवाच प्रहसन्त्तेव हिमवंतं शुचिस्मिता

Transliteration

ebhiruktā tadā tanvī pārvatī tapasi sthitā | uvāca prahasantteva himavaṃtaṃ śucismitā

Translation

ಅವರ ಮಾತುಗಳಿಂದ ಉಕ್ತಳಾದ, ತಪಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿರಳಾದ ಸೊಗಸಾದ ಅಂಗಗಳ ಪಾರ್ವತಿ—ಶುಚಿಸ್ಮಿತಳಾಗಿ, ಮೃದುವಾಗಿ ನಗುವಂತೆ—ಹಿಮವಂತನಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿದಳು.

Word by Word

• एभिः: by these (persons/words)
• एभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; instrumental plural

• उक्ता: having been told; addressed
• उक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; agreeing with 'पार्वती/तन्वी'

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• तन्वी: the slender one
• तन्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; epithet

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; proper noun

• तपसि: in austerity; in penance
• तपसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• स्थिता: stood; remained
• स्थिता: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; predicate participle

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3), एकवचन

• प्रहसन्ती: smiling; laughing
• प्रहसन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• इव: as if
• इव: Upamana (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (like/as if)

• हिमवन्तम्: Himavān (the Himalaya)
• हिमवन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• शुचिस्मिता: pure-smiling
• शुचिस्मिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास (शुचि स्मिता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; epithet of Pārvatī

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, slender and radiant, stands firm in austerity and speaks to her father Himavān with a pure smile, almost laughing softly—gentle defiance without disrespect.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Himavān (Himalaya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (tapas) is to be held with inner purity and steadiness, not harshness—Pārvatī’s calm smile embodies disciplined devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Himalayan sacred setting, preparing the ground for Kedāra-related Śaiva tīrtha-mahātmya themes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; it introduces Pārvatī’s tapas as the central religious act.