Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

निधेहि मे पदं त्वं हि शीर्ष्णि देववर प्रभो । द्वितीयं मे शिशोस्त्वं हि कुरु मूर्ध्नि जगत्पते

Transliteration

nidhehi me padaṃ tvaṃ hi śīrṣṇi devavara prabho | dvitīyaṃ me śiśostvaṃ hi kuru mūrdhni jagatpate

Translation

ഹേ ദേവവര പ്രഭോ, എന്റെ ശിരസ്സിൽ നിങ്ങളുടെ ഒരു പാദം സ്ഥാപിക്കണമേ; ഹേ ജഗത്പതേ, എന്റെ ശിശുവിന്റെ തലയിൽ രണ്ടാം പാദവും വെക്കണമേ।

Word by Word

• निधेहि: place; set down
• निधेहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः नि-

• मे: my; of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• पदं: foot; step
• पदं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• त्वं: you
• त्वं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• हि: indeed; surely
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• शीर्ष्णि: on (the) head
• शीर्ष्णि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• देववर: O best of gods
• देववर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive tatpurusha: 'of gods' + 'best'); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• द्वितीयं: second
• द्वितीयं: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• मे: my; of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• शिशोः: of the child
• शिशोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• त्वं: you
• त्वं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

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

• कुरु: do; place
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• मूर्ध्नि: on (the) head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• जगत्पते: O lord of the world
• जगत्पते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive tatpurusha: 'of the world' + 'lord'); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Vindhyāvalī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience within the frame (ṛṣis/Janamejaya-type hearer depending on recension)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted woman petitions the dwarf Vāmana/Trivikrama to place His cosmic steps upon her head and then upon her child’s head—an intimate domestic framing of a cosmic avatāra act.

Characters & Entities

• Vindhyāvalī
• Viṣṇu
• Bali’s child (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest offering is oneself; surrender sanctifies both devotee and family line.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative appears within the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra māhātmya framework, reinforcing pilgrimage-text ethics rather than naming a new tirtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it depicts symbolic śaraṇāgati—offering one’s head to the Lord to complete a vow.