Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

ववंदिरे तदा बालं कुमारं सूर्यवर्चसम् । प्रमथाश्च गणाः सर्वे वीरभद्रादयस्तथा

Transliteration

vavaṃdire tadā bālaṃ kumāraṃ sūryavarcasam | pramathāśca gaṇāḥ sarve vīrabhadrādayastathā

Translation

അപ്പോൾ വീരഭദ്രാദികളായ എല്ലാ പ്രമഥരും ഗണങ്ങളും, സൂര്യപ്രഭപോലെ ദീപ്തനായ ബാലകുമാരനെ ഭക്തിയോടെ വന്ദിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• vavaṃdire: they paid homage / they saluted
• vavaṃdire: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vand (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural), आत्मनेपद

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• bālam: the boy
• bālam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• kumāram: the youth/prince
• kumāram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; बālam इत्यस्य समानाधिकरण (appositional)

• sūryavarcasam: having sun-like radiance
• sūryavarcasam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūrya + varcas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सूर्यस्य वर्चः इव/सदृशम्), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; kumāram इति विशेषण

• pramathāḥ: the Pramathas (Śiva’s attendants)
• pramathāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

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

• gaṇāḥ: groups/hosts
• gaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; pramathāḥ इत्यस्य समानार्थक/समुच्चित

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; gaṇāḥ इति विशेषण

• vīrabhadrādayaḥ: Vīrabhadra and others
• vīrabhadrādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrabhadra + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वीरभद्रः आदिः येषाम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/रीति-वाचक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant child Kumāra, sun-bright, stands or sits in divine composure while Pramathas and gaṇas—led by Vīrabhadra—bow in reverence, forming a semicircle of attendants in a Himalayan sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Pramathas
• Gaṇas
• Vīrabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence (vandana/namaskāra) is a universal dharma—even mighty divine attendants honor the Lord’s manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedārakhaṇḍa), portrayed as a stage for divine homage and exemplary worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act implied is vandana (bowing/salutation), a core devotional practice though not framed here as a command.