Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

शशांकशेखरायैव रुद्रविश्वाश्रयाय च । दुर्गाय दुर्गसाराय दुर्गावयवसाक्षिणे

Transliteration

śaśāṃkaśekharāyaiva rudraviśvāśrayāya ca | durgāya durgasārāya durgāvayavasākṣiṇe

Translation

ചന്ദ്രശേഖരനായ ഭഗവാനോടും, വിശ്വാശ്രയനായ രുദ്രനോടും നമസ്കാരം. ദുർഗാദേവിയോടും, ദുർഗാസാരത്തോടും, ദുർഗയുടെ അംഗ-ശക്തികൾക്കു സാക്ഷിയായവനോടും പ്രണാമം.

Word by Word

• śaśāṃka-śekharāya: to the Moon-crested (Śiva)
• śaśāṃka-śekharāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaśāṃka (प्रातिपदिक) + śekhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śaśāṅkasya śekharaḥ)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• rudra-viśva-āśrayāya: to the refuge of Rudra and the universe
• rudra-viśva-āśrayāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; बहु-तत्पुरुषः (rudrasya viśvasya āśrayaḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• durgāya: to Durgā
• durgāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• durga-sārāya: to the essence of the fort/difficult (one)
• durga-sārāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durga (प्रातिपदिक) + sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (durgasya sāraḥ)

• durgā-avayava-sākṣiṇe: to the witness of Durgā’s limbs/parts
• durgā-avayava-sākṣiṇe: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durgā (प्रातिपदिक) + avayava (प्रातिपदिक) + sākṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; बहु-तत्पुरुषः (durgāyāḥ avayavānāṃ sākṣī)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra) and/or assembled devas (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in a Himalayan shrine offers folded hands to moon-crested Śiva while Durgā stands as protective essence and inner witness, suggesting Śiva–Śakti unity amid snow peaks and temple lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śaśāṅkaśekhara)
• Rudra
• Durgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The hymn recognizes the universal refuge as Rudra while also affirming the divine power (Durgā) and the supreme witnessing consciousness behind all śakti-manifestations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Himalayan pilgrimage context frames the praise, where Śiva and Śakti are revered across mountain tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is stuti suitable for recitation in Śiva–Śakti worship.