Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अवगाह्य स्थितवता क्रियते प्राणिपालना । अहो धन्योसि विप्रेंद्राः साहाय्येन तवाचल

Transliteration

avagāhya sthitavatā kriyate prāṇipālanā | aho dhanyosi vipreṃdrāḥ sāhāyyena tavācala

Translation

നിന്നെ ആശ്രയിച്ച് നിന്റെ അടുക്കൽ വസിക്കുന്നവരാൽ ജീവികളുടെ പരിപാലനവും രക്ഷയും സിദ്ധമാകുന്നു. അഹോ! ഹേ അചലാ, നീ ധന്യൻ; നിന്റെ സഹായത്താൽ വിപ്രശ്രേഷ്ഠരും പോഷിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अवगाह्य: having entered
• अवगाह्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Gerundial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-गाह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having entered/immersed’

• स्थितवता: by (you) who remained/stood
• स्थितवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + वत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘स्थितवत्’ (past active participle-like, ‘one who has stood/remained’); पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; तृतीया (Instrumental, Singular)

• क्रियते: is done/is carried out
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• प्राणिपालना: protection of creatures
• प्राणिपालना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणि + पालन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: प्राणि + पालना (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘protection of beings’); स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• अहो: ah!
• अहो: Sambandha (Interjection/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार (interjection)

• धन्यः: fortunate/blessed
• धन्यः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); मध्यमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• विप्रेंद्राः: O best of brahmins
• विप्रेंद्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रेंद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: विप्र + इन्द्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘chief of brahmins’); पुंलिङ्गम्; बहुवचनम्; संबोधन (Vocative, Plural)

• साहाय्येन: by help/assistance
• साहाय्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; तृतीया (Instrumental, Singular)

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

• अचल: O mountain (immovable one)
• अचल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; संबोधन (Vocative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Giri-āśraya kṣetra (mountain refuge)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the mountain (Achala/Bhūdhara addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the mountain’s foothills, brāhmaṇas and ascetics dwell in hermitages; animals and travelers find safety, suggesting the mountain’s protective embrace.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Providing refuge and support to the righteous is a form of protecting life and upholding dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred mountain refuge is praised, but the verse does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the merit of offering shelter/support is emphasized.