Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

स्वेषामुद्योगमालोक्य दक्षश्चाश्रुमुखस्ततः । दंडवत्पतितो भूमौ सर्वानेवाभ्यभाषत

Transliteration

sveṣāmudyogamālokya dakṣaścāśrumukhastataḥ | daṃḍavatpatito bhūmau sarvānevābhyabhāṣata

Translation

ಅವರ ದೃಢ ಉದ್ಯೋಗವನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ದಕ್ಷನು ಅಶ್ರುಮುಖನಾದನು; ದಂಡವತ್ ಪ್ರಣಾಮವಾಗಿ ಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಬಿದ್ದು, ಎಲ್ಲರನ್ನೂ ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದನು.

Word by Word

• स्वेषाम्: of them/their
• स्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘तेषां स्वानाम्’ (of their own/ of them)

• उद्योगम्: effort/preparation
• उद्योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Kriya-viseshana (Converb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘आलोक्य’ = having seen

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अश्रु-मुखः: with a tearful face
• अश्रु-मुखः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (अश्रूणि मुखे यस्य सः)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/क्रमवाचक (then/thereupon)

• दण्डवत्: like a staff; prostrate
• दण्डवत्: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• पतितः: fallen/prostrated
• पतितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पत् (धातु) (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

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

• सर्वान्: all (of them)
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अवधारणार्थ

• अभ्यभाषत: addressed/spoke to
• अभ्यभाषत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa, overwhelmed, eyes brimming with tears, falls full-length like a staff before the assembled divine companies, hands folded, body pressed to earth, beginning a plea for support and forgiveness.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride in ritual status collapses before truth; humility and surrender (daṇḍavat-praṇāma) open the door to reconciliation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in the verse; the Kedārakhaṇḍa context supports a Shaiva Mahātmya frame while narrating Dakṣa’s turning point.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, daṇḍavat-praṇāma (full prostration) as a gesture of surrender; no formal vrata/dāna/japa is detailed.