Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

ताभ्यां संप्रेषितोऽपश्यद्रुचिरं शिवमांदिरम् । द्वारि स्थितं नंदिनं च ददर्शाग्रे महाप्रभम्

Transliteration

tābhyāṃ saṃpreṣito'paśyadruciraṃ śivamāṃdiram | dvāri sthitaṃ naṃdinaṃ ca dadarśāgre mahāprabham

Translation

അവരിരുവരാൽ അയക്കപ്പെട്ട അഗ്നിദേവൻ മനോഹരമായ ശിവമന്ദിരം ദർശിച്ചു. വാതിലിൽ നിലകൊണ്ട നന്ദിയെയും കണ്ടു—മുന്നിൽ നിന്ന മഹാപ്രഭാമയനായ ദ്വാരപാലൻ.

Word by Word

• ताभ्याम्: by those two
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; here Instrumental dual (by those two)

• संप्रेषितः: having been sent
• संप्रेषितः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-इष्/प्रेष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having been dispatched/sent’

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• रुचिरम्: beautiful
• रुचिरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agreeing with मन्दिरम्

• शिव-मन्दिरम्: Śiva's temple
• शिव-मन्दिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य मन्दिरम्)

• द्वारि: at the door
• द्वारि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative singular (at the door)

• स्थितम्: standing
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agreeing with नन्दिनम्

• नन्दिनम्: Nandin
• नन्दिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

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

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial locative: in front)

• महा-प्रभम्: the greatly radiant one
• महा-प्रभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् प्रभः = very splendid)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni stands before a resplendent Śiva-mandira, its stone or jeweled façade glowing; at the doorway Nandin stands vigilant and radiant, facing outward as guardian, with a sense of sacred threshold and controlled power.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva
• Nandin
• Agni (implied as the messenger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching Śiva’s abode is shown as a guarded, sanctified passage—devotion proceeds with reverence and proper mediation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śiva’s Himalayan abode within the Kedāra narrative is evoked through the image of a splendid Śiva-mandira.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes sacred approach and divine guardianship (Nandin).