Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ददर्श च महेशानं नासाग्रकृतलोचनम् । देवदारुद्रुमच्छायावेदिका मध्यमाश्रितम् । समाकायं सुखासीनं समाधिस्थं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

dadarśa ca maheśānaṃ nāsāgrakṛtalocanam | devadārudrumacchāyāvedikā madhyamāśritam | samākāyaṃ sukhāsīnaṃ samādhisthaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

അവൻ മഹേശാനനെ കണ്ടു—അവന്റെ ദൃഷ്ടി നാസാഗ്രത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരമായിരുന്നു. ദേവദാരു വൃക്ഷങ്ങളുടെ നിഴലുള്ള വേദികയുടെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ, സമഭാവത്തോടെ സുഖാസനത്തിൽ ഇരുന്ന് സമാധിസ്ഥനായ മഹേശ്വരനെ അവൻ ദർശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• maheśānam: Maheśāna (Śiva)
• maheśānam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• nāsāgra-kṛta-locanam: with eyes fixed on the tip of the nose
• nāsāgra-kṛta-locanam: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nāsāgra (nāsā + agra) (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (√kṛ (कृ) + क्त) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘नासाग्रे कृतं लोचनं यस्य’ (नासाग्रदृष्टि)

• devadāru-druma-chāyā-vedikā-madhyama-āśritam: seated in the middle of a platform in the shade of deodar trees
• devadāru-druma-chāyā-vedikā-madhyama-āśritam: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: devadāru (प्रातिपदिक) + druma (प्रातिपदिक) + chāyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vedikā (प्रातिपदिक) + madhyama (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrita (ā-√śri (श्रि) + क्त)
• Form: बहुपद-समासः (प्रधानतः तत्पुरुषः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘देवदारुद्रुमच्छायायां वेदिकायाः मध्यमम् आश्रितम्’

• samākāyam: well-proportioned in body
• samākāyam: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samākāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (well-formed-bodied)

• sukha-āsīnam: sitting comfortably
• sukha-āsīnam: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + āsīna (√ās (आस्) + क्त/क्तिन्-भावे)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारयः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘सुखेन आसीनः’

• samādhi-stham: absorbed in samādhi
• samādhi-stham: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samādhi (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (√sthā (स्था) + क)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘समाधौ स्थितम्’

• maheśvaram: Maheśvara (the Great Lord)
• maheśvaram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपदम् (apposition to maheśānam)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devadāru-vedikā (Śiva’s samādhi-sthāna in Himādri)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva sits in effortless composure on a central platform shaded by deodāra trees, gaze fixed at the nose-tip, absorbed in samādhi; Kāma beholds him with awe.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna
• Maheśvara
• Mahādeva
• Śiva
• Devadāru (deodar trees)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva exemplifies unwavering yogic absorption—true tapas is steadiness of mind and senses in samādhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is specified in this verse; the emphasis is on Śiva’s ascetic setting (a deodāra-shaded platform) as a sacred atmosphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights yogic practice (steady gaze and samādhi).