Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । सोमनाथस्य माहात्म्यं ज्ञातं तस्य प्रसादतः । राहोः शिरोभयात्सर्वे रक्षिताः परमेष्ठिना

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | somanāthasya māhātmyaṃ jñātaṃ tasya prasādataḥ | rāhoḥ śirobhayātsarve rakṣitāḥ parameṣṭhinā

Translation

ഋഷികൾ പറഞ്ഞു—അങ്ങയുടെ പ്രസാദത്താൽ സോമനാഥന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യം ഞങ്ങൾ അറിഞ്ഞു. രാഹുവിന്റെ ശിരോഭയത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പരമേഷ്ഠി ബ്രഹ്മാവ് എല്ലാവരെയും രക്ഷിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सोमनाथस्य: of Somanātha
• सोमनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—सोम + नाथ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/Genitive determinative); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ज्ञातम्: (has been) known
• ज्ञातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अर्थे—‘ज्ञातम् अस्ति’ इति)

• तस्य: of him/that (one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रसादतः: by (his) grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘प्रसादात्’ = by grace

• राहोः: of Rāhu
• राहोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शिरोभयात्: from fear of (his) head
• शिरोभयात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—शिरस् + भय (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘शिरसः भयम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रक्षिताः: were protected
• रक्षिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (अर्थे—‘रक्षिताः आसन्’)

• परमेष्ठिना: by the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• परमेष्ठिना: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lomaśa (implied addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages, hands folded, addresses the narrator; behind them a luminous liṅga of Somanātha and a protective aura suggesting Brahmā’s safeguarding from the terror of Rāhu’s severed head.

Characters & Entities

• Somanātha
• Rāhu
• Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred-site glory (māhātmya) is received through grace, and divine protection operates within dharmic cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somanātha—praised for its māhātmya (greatness) within the Purāṇic sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse; it functions as narrative transition and acknowledgement of māhātmya.