Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

आदित्याद्या मातरश्च कुर्वंत्यो गुहमंगलम् । वासुकिप्रमुखा नागास्थथोभौ गरुडारुणौ

Transliteration

ādityādyā mātaraśca kurvaṃtyo guhamaṃgalam | vāsukipramukhā nāgāsthathobhau garuḍāruṇau

Translation

ആദിത്യാദി മാതൃശക്തികൾ ഗുഹയുടെ മംഗളകർമ്മം നിർവഹിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു; വാസുകി-പ്രമുഖ നാഗഗണങ്ങളും, ഗരുഡനും അരുൺനും—ഇരുവരും അവിടെ സന്നിഹിതരായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• आदित्याद्याः: beginning with the Ādityas (etc.)
• आदित्याद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदित्य + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘आदित्य’ + ‘आदि’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of मातरः)

• मातरः: mothers (divine mothers)
• मातरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुर्वन्त्यः: they do/perform
• कुर्वन्त्यः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: कृ (to do)

• गुहमङ्गलम्: auspiciousness for Guha (Kārttikeya)
• गुहमङ्गलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह + मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक; गुह + मङ्गल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)

• वासुकिप्रमुखाः: headed by Vāsuki
• वासुकिप्रमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासुकि + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक; वासुकि + प्रमुख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of नागाः)

• नागाः: Nāgas (serpents)
• नागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थ (adverb: 'likewise')

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), द्विवचन (Dual)

• गरुडः: Garuḍa
• गरुडः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (उभौ इति द्विवचनसमुच्चय)

• अरुणः: Aruṇa
• अरुणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (उभौ इति द्विवचनसमुच्चय)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Mothers (Mātaraḥ) in a semicircle perform maṅgala—holding lamps, flowers, and auspicious vessels—before Guha; Vāsuki and other Nāgas appear with jeweled hoods; Garuḍa stands majestic with Aruṇa nearby as charioteer-like figure, all in reverent posture.

Characters & Entities

• Guha (Skanda/Kumāra)
• Ādityas
• Mātṛs (Mothers)
• Vāsuki
• Nāgas
• Garuḍa
• Aruṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness (maṅgala) around the divine is upheld by many orders of beings, showing that dharma is cosmic and communal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the universal assembly honoring Guha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions performing “maṅgala” for Guha—an auspicious rite/blessing—without detailing a specific procedure.