Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 151

Devanagari script

गगनस्थो यथा चंद्रो ग्रहीतुं न हि शक्यते । तथैव दुर्गमः शर्भुर्जानीहि त्वं शुचिस्मिते

Transliteration

gaganastho yathā caṃdro grahītuṃ na hi śakyate | tathaiva durgamaḥ śarbhurjānīhi tvaṃ śucismite

Translation

ആകാശസ്ഥനായ ചന്ദ്രനെ പിടിക്കാനാകാത്തതുപോലെ, ശർഭു (ശിവൻ) ദുർഗമൻ—ഹേ ശുചിസ്മിതേ, ഇത് അറിഞ്ഞുകൊൾക.

Word by Word

• गगनस्थः: situated in the sky
• गगनस्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (गगने स्थितः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; adjective qualifying 'चन्द्रः'

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• चन्द्रः: the moon
• चन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ग्रहीतुम्: to grasp
• ग्रहीतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक; ‘to seize/take’

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

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

• शक्यते: is possible
• शक्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Upamana (Correlative/तथैव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तद्वत्/एवम् अर्थे अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis)

• दुर्गमः: hard to reach
• दुर्गमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; predicate adjective

• शर्भुः: Śarbhū (Śiva)
• शर्भुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; name/epithet of Śiva

• जानीहि: know (you)
• जानीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 2nd person pronoun

• शुचिस्मिते: O one with a pure smile
• शुचिस्मिते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास (शुचि स्मितं यस्याः/या), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Himālaya (to Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poetic comparison: the moon high in the sky cannot be seized; likewise Śarbhu (Śiva) is hard to reach; addressed to a smiling, pure one.

Characters & Entities

• Śarbhu (Śiva)
• Pārvatī
• Moon (Candra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine is not an object to be ‘possessed’; realization comes through worthiness, grace, and sustained sādhanā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kedāra-khaṇḍa, aligning the teaching with the Kedāra region’s Shaiva sacredness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it offers a metaphor underscoring Śiva’s transcendence and difficulty of attainment.