Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

महेश्वर उवाच । नामानि शृणु मे ब्रह्मन्मुख्यानि द्विजसत्तम । दुर्लभान्यल्पपुण्यानां कामदानि सदा भुवि

Transliteration

maheśvara uvāca | nāmāni śṛṇu me brahmanmukhyāni dvijasattama | durlabhānyalpapuṇyānāṃ kāmadāni sadā bhuvi

Translation

മഹേശ്വരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണാ, ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! എന്റെ പ്രധാന നാമങ്ങൾ കേൾക്കുക; അവ ഭൂമിയിൽ സദാ ഇഷ്ടദായകങ്ങൾ, എന്നാൽ അല്പപുണ്യമുള്ളവർക്ക് ദുർലഭം।

Word by Word

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मे: my, of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुख्यानि: chief, principal
• मुख्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां सत्तमः)

• दुर्लभानि: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अल्पपुण्यानाम्: of those with little merit
• अल्पपुण्यानाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्प-पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय (अल्पं पुण्यं येषां ते)

• कामदानि: wish-granting
• कामदानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-द (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural); चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (कामाय ददाति)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू; ‘earth’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gautama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara addresses Gautama with a teaching gesture, promising to enumerate principal names; the atmosphere is solemn, didactic, and grace-filled.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva
• Gautama (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine names are powerful and grace-bestowing, and receptivity depends upon merit and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala/Aruṇādri as the context where the Lord’s principal names are revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hearing/learning the names is implied as a devotional practice; no separate rite is stated.