Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आगंतव्यं त्वया नित्यं दर्शनार्थं ममाचल । कुमारीं च गृहे स्थाप्य नान्यथा मम दर्शनम्

Transliteration

āgaṃtavyaṃ tvayā nityaṃ darśanārthaṃ mamācala | kumārīṃ ca gṛhe sthāpya nānyathā mama darśanam

Translation

ഹേ അചലാ! എന്റെ ദർശനാർത്ഥം നീ നിത്യവും വരേണ്ടതാണ്. കുമാരിയെ ഗൃഹത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ച ശേഷം മാത്രമേ എന്റെ ദർശനം ലഭിക്കൂ; അല്ലാതെ ഇല്ല।

Word by Word

• आगन्तव्यम्: (you) must come
• आगन्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय/कर्तव्यता-बोधक कृदन्त (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः—'आगन्तव्यम्' = 'must be come/one must come'

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्ता-करणभावे; agent in passive/gerundive), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (adverbial accusative)

• दर्शनार्थम्: for seeing (me)
• दर्शनार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; प्रयोजनवाचक अव्ययवत्

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अचल: O mountain (Himālaya)
• अचल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• कुमारीम्: the maiden (Pārvatī)
• कुमारीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• गृहे: in (your) house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्थाप्य: having placed/keeping
• स्थाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्थापय् + क्त्वा-ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) from causative; 'स्थाप्य' = 'having placed/after placing'

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-बोधक अव्यय (negation)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: 'otherwise')

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• दर्शनम्: seeing/audience (with me)
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (विधेय/subject complement), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied sages/devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Himācala with calm authority: ‘Come daily for my darśana; place the maiden at home—otherwise no darśana.’ The tone is firm yet compassionate, emphasizing order.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Acala
• Kumārī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace (darśana) is tied to niyama—disciplined, respectful conduct and obedience to dharmic instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-region context (Kedārakhaṇḍa); the verse emphasizes darśana-dharma rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral observance: daily coming for darśana, and keeping the maiden at home (a rule of propriety).