Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा स्वसखीयुक्ता पितृभ्यां साश्रु वीक्षिता । श्रृंगं हिमवतः पुण्यं नानाश्चर्यं जगाम सा

Transliteration

ityuktvā svasakhīyuktā pitṛbhyāṃ sāśru vīkṣitā | śrṛṃgaṃ himavataḥ puṇyaṃ nānāścaryaṃ jagāma sā

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ് അവൾ സ്വന്തം സഖികളോടൊപ്പം പുറപ്പെട്ടു; കണ്ണുനീർ നിറഞ്ഞ കണ്ണുകളോടെ മാതാപിതാക്കൾ അവളെ നോക്കി നിന്നു. പിന്നെ അവൾ അനവധി അത്ഭുതങ്ങൾ നിറഞ്ഞ ഹിമവതന്റെ പുണ്യശിഖരത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (quotative/marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having said)

• sva: own
• sva: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (स्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्राय विशेषण; स्व- (own)

• sakhī: female friend
• sakhī: Sambandha (associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (सखी-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया? (समास/योगे पदांश); एकवचन (as member in compound-like construction)

• yuktā: accompanied
• yuktā: Visheshana (of sā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (युज् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; (युक्ता = joined/associated)

• pitṛbhyām: by/with (her) parents
• pitṛbhyām: Karana (instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (पितृ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) द्विवचन; 'by/with (her) parents'

• sa-aśru: with tears
• sa-aśru: Visheshana (manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśru (अश्रु-प्रातिपदिक) + sa- (सह)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (स + अश्रु); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (with tears/tearfully)

• vīkṣitā: was looked at
• vīkṣitā: Kriya (passive predicate of sā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु) + vi- + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; 'having been looked at'

• śṛṅgam: peak
• śṛṅgam: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śṛṅga (शृङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्म (object of jagāma)

• himavataḥ: of Himavat (Himalaya)
• himavataḥ: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: himavat (हिमवत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• puṇyam: holy
• puṇyam: Visheshana (of śṛṅgam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (पुण्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण (of śṛṅgam)

• nānā-āścaryam: full of various wonders
• nānā-āścaryam: Visheshana (of śṛṅgam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nānā (नाना-अव्यय) + āścarya (आश्चर्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (नाना + आश्चर्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (wonderful/varied marvel)

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriya (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; 'went'

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himavat-śṛṅga (Himalayan holy peak)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī departs with her companions; her parents watch with tears as she moves toward a wondrous Himalayan peak—snow ridges, pine/deodar silhouettes, distant ascetics’ fires.

Characters & Entities

• Himavat
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Firm resolve for spiritual attainment often requires leaving comfort behind and turning toward sacred spaces suited for austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The puṇya-śṛṅga (holy peak) of Himavat (the Himalayan sacred region) is praised as wondrous and merit-giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is listed; the verse introduces pilgrimage-like movement to a sanctified landscape for tapas.