Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

कराग्रे ध्रियमाणां तां दृष्ट्वा देवाः समुत्सुकाः । आलोकनपरा यावत्तावत्तान्ददृशे ह्यसौ

Transliteration

karāgre dhriyamāṇāṃ tāṃ dṛṣṭvā devāḥ samutsukāḥ | ālokanaparā yāvattāvattāndadṛśe hyasau

Translation

അവളെ മുൻഭാഗത്ത് കൈയുടെ അഗ്രത്തിൽ പിടിച്ചു കൊണ്ടുവരുന്നതു കണ്ട ദേവന്മാർ ഉത്സുകരായി ദർശനത്തിൽ ലീനരായി. അവർ എത്രനേരം അവളെ നോക്കിനിന്നുവോ, അത്രനേരം അവളും അവരെ തന്നേ നോക്കി.

Word by Word

• कर: hand
• कर: Sambandha (Genitival/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे; (समासपूर्वपद)

• अग्रे: at the tip of the hand
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; locative singular; समासः: कर-अग्रे (करस्य अग्रे)

• ध्रियमाणाम्: being held
• ध्रियमाणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु) → ध्रियमाण (कृदन्त, वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि)
• Form: कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; accusative singular qualifying ताम्

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; accusative singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभावः (gerund/absolutive)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural

• समुत्सुकाः: eager, excited
• समुत्सुकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural qualifying देवाः

• आलोकन: looking, viewing
• आलोकन: Sambandha (Genitival/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-लोकन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे; (समासपूर्वपद)

• पराः: intent on looking
• पराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः: आलोकन-पराः (आलोकने पराः)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (correlative), यावत्-तावत् प्रयोगे; as long as/while

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (correlative), यावत्-तावत्; so long/then

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; accusative plural

• ददृशे: saw
• ददृशे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्; 3rd sg. perfect middle

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• असौ: she/that one
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; demonstrative pronoun nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods lean forward with eager faces, eyes fixed on Śrī as she is led at the front; the composition centers on exchanged glances—her calm, compassionate gaze meeting their excited wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālakṣmī
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana is mutual: sincere longing to behold the Divine is met by the Divine’s gracious regard.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa framework underlies the narration, but this verse highlights devotional experience rather than a geographical tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes attentive beholding (ālokana) as a devotional act.