Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

हिमालयोऽथ मेरुश्च श्वेतकूटश्च दर्दुरः । मलयोऽथ महाशैलो मैनाको विंध्यपर्वतः

Transliteration

himālayo'tha meruśca śvetakūṭaśca darduraḥ | malayo'tha mahāśailo maināko viṃdhyaparvataḥ

Translation

ഹിമാലയം, മേരു, ശ്വേതകൂടം, ദർദുരം; മലയം എന്ന മഹാശൈലം, മൈനാകൻ, വിന്ധ്യപർവ്വതം—

Word by Word

• हिमालयः: Himālaya
• हिमालयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Nipāta (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भबोधक निपात (then/now)

• मेरुः: Meru
• मेरुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• श्वेतकूटः: Śvetakūṭa
• श्वेतकूटः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेतकूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• दर्दुरः: Dardura (mountain)
• दर्दुरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्दुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मलयः: Malaya (mountain)
• मलयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Nipāta (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भबोधक निपात

• महाशैलः: Mahāśaila (great mountain)
• महाशैलः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् शैलः’

• मैनाकः: Maināka
• मैनाकः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैनाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विंध्य-पर्वतः: the Vindhya mountain
• विंध्य-पर्वतः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘विंध्यस्य पर्वतः’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping panorama where named mountains appear as personified or emblematic peaks—Himālaya towering, Meru golden at center, Vindhya broad and dark—forming a sacred ring around the narrative’s focal event.

Characters & Entities

• Himālaya
• Meru
• Śvetakūṭa
• Dardura
• Malaya
• Mahāśaila
• Maināka
• Vindhya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is alive with devotion: even mountains are portrayed as conscious participants in divine events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakṣetra’s Mahātmya backdrop expands to a pan-Indian sacred geography by invoking renowned parvatas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.