Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । नमो रुद्राय शांताय स्वज्योत्स्नायात्मवेधसे । निरंतराय सूक्ष्माय ज्योतिषां पतये नमः

Transliteration

rājovāca | namo rudrāya śāṃtāya svajyotsnāyātmavedhase | niraṃtarāya sūkṣmāya jyotiṣāṃ pataye namaḥ

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—ശാന്തസ്വരൂപനായ രുദ്രനു നമസ്കാരം; സ്വപ്രകാശജ്യോതിയും ആത്മജ്ഞാനിയും ആയവനു പ്രണാമം. നിരന്തരനും സൂക്ഷ്മനും സർവ്വജ്യോതികളുടെ അധിപതിയുമായവനു നമഃ।

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नमः: salutation, homage
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (used as salutation)

• रुद्राय: to Rudra
• रुद्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• शान्ताय: to the peaceful one
• शान्ताय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक; विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying रुद्र)

• स्वज्योत्स्नाय: to (him who is) of his own radiance
• स्वज्योत्स्नाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + ज्योत्स्ना (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य ज्योत्स्ना)

• आत्मवेधसे: to the self-knower
• आत्मवेधसे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आत्मनः वेधस् = self-knower/penetrator)

• निरन्तराय: to the uninterrupted/continuous one
• निरन्तराय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक; विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सूक्ष्माय: to the subtle one
• सूक्ष्माय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक; विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ज्योतिषाम्: of lights, of luminaries
• ज्योतिषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पतये: to the lord
• पतये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• नमः: homage
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (salutation)

Speaker

Rājā (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rudra/Śaṅkara (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king stands with folded hands before a Himalayan Śiva presence, offering a luminous hymn; the atmosphere suggests an unseen radiance pervading the shrine and snowy peaks.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rudra is both immanent and transcendent—subtle, ever-present, and the ultimate Light that illumines all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, where devotion naturally takes the form of Rudra-stuti and surrender.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, stotra/japa of Rudra’s epithets; no formal vrata or dāna is stated here.