Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

युष्मद्बलेनैव मया यज्ञः प्रारंभितो महान् । सत्कर्मसिद्धये यूयं प्रमाणं सुमहाप्रभाः

Transliteration

yuṣmadbalenaiva mayā yajñaḥ prāraṃbhito mahān | satkarmasiddhaye yūyaṃ pramāṇaṃ sumahāprabhāḥ

Translation

ನಿಮ್ಮ ಬಲದಿಂದಲೇ ನಾನು ಈ ಮಹಾಯಜ್ಞವನ್ನು ಆರಂಭಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಸತ್ಕರ್ಮಸಿದ್ಧಿಗಾಗಿ, ಓ ಮಹಾಪ್ರಭುಗಳೇ, ನೀವೇ ಪ್ರಮಾಣವೂ ಆಧಾರವೂ ಆಗಿದ್ದೀರಿ.

Word by Word

• युष्मत्-बलेन: by your strength
• युष्मत्-बलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (युष्माकं बलम्)

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

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by me’

• यज्ञः: the sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रारम्भितः: begun/commenced
• प्रारम्भितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आ-√रभ् (धातु) (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सत्-कर्म-सिद्धये: for the accomplishment of good rites
• सत्-कर्म-सिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सत्कर्मणः सिद्धिः)

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

• प्रमाणम्: the authority/guarantee
• प्रमाणम्: Pradhana-visheshya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• सुमहा-प्रभाः: very great and splendid ones
• सुमहा-प्रभाः: Sambodhana-sadrisha (Appositional epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सुमहान्तः प्रभाः)

Speaker

Dakṣa (deduced from the immediate context leading into his address to Viṣṇu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa, still humbled, speaks from the ground or rising from prostration, hands folded, addressing the radiant assembly: acknowledging that his great sacrifice began only by their strength and that they are the validating authority for dharma’s completion.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña
• Dakṣa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great rituals succeed through divinely supported authority and collective sacred power, not mere personal effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra sacred region), though this verse itself focuses on yajña authority rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references the commencement and successful completion (siddhi) of a yajña, emphasizing the need for proper authority/support.