Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 118

Devanagari script

यत्र कामावसायित्वं माहेश्वरपदस्थिताः । सूक्ष्मात्सूक्ष्मत्वमणिमा शीघ्रत्वाल्लघिमा स्मृता

Transliteration

yatra kāmāvasāyitvaṃ māheśvarapadasthitāḥ | sūkṣmātsūkṣmatvamaṇimā śīghratvāllaghimā smṛtā

Translation

മാഹേശ്വര പദത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതർക്കു കാമാവസായിത്വം—അഥവാ സംकल्पത്തിന്റെ പൂർണ്ണസിദ്ധി—ഉണ്ടാകുന്നു. സൂക്ഷ്മത്തിലും സൂക്ഷ്മമാകുന്നതാണ് അണിമാ; ശീഘ്രതയാൽ ലഘിമാ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (relative adverb: where)

• kāma-avasāyitvam: the ability to realize/fulfill desires
• kāma-avasāyitvam: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma + avasāyitva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (neuter nom/acc sg)

• māheśvara-pada-sthitāḥ: those situated in the Māheśvara state
• māheśvara-pada-sthitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māheśvara + pada + sthita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (masculine nominative plural)

• sūkṣmāt: from subtlety/from the subtle
• sūkṣmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (neuter ablative singular)

• sūkṣmatvam: subtlety
• sūkṣmatvam: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūkṣma + -tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (abstract noun; neuter nom/acc sg)

• aṇimā: aṇimā (minuteness)
• aṇimā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṇimā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (feminine nominative singular)

• śīghratvāt: from speed
• śīghratvāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīghra + -tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (abstract noun; neuter ablative singular)

• laghimā: laghimā (lightness)
• laghimā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laghimā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (feminine nominative singular)

• smṛtā: is said/considered
• smṛtā: Kriyā (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + -ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (past passive participle; feminine nominative singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin merged in Śiva-consciousness; the world appears as subtle layers. The yogin becomes atom-like (aṇimā) and moves with effortless speed (laghimā); intention manifests without friction (kāmāvasāyitva).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Union with the Māheśvara state is portrayed as the root from which extraordinary capacities like subtlety and swiftness naturally arise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No geographical tīrtha is referenced; the verse is philosophical, describing the Māheśvara-pada.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it defines siddhis and a spiritual state rather than prescribing rites.