Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

निरालंबं स विज्ञाय नारदो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । गिरिजां च गिरींद्रं च पार्षदान्प्रति सत्वरम्

Transliteration

nirālaṃbaṃ sa vijñāya nārado vākyamabravīt | girijāṃ ca girīṃdraṃ ca pārṣadānprati satvaram

Translation

അവൻ നിരാലംബനായി (ആശ്രയമില്ലാതെ) പുറപ്പെടുന്നതെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞ നാരദൻ വേഗത്തിൽ ഗിരിജയോടും ഗിരീന്ദ്രനോടും പാർഷദന്മാരോടും വചനം പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• निरालम्बम्: supportless; without support
• निरालम्बम्: Karma/Viṣaya (Object of knowing/विषय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निर् + आलम्ब), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वस्तु/स्थितिं बोधयति)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त (विज्ञाय = having known), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (absolutive)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech; statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said; spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• गिरिजाम्: to Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजाम्: Karma (Addressed/target/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• गिरीन्द्रम्: to the lord of mountains (Himālaya)
• गिरीन्द्रम्: Karma (Addressed/target/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गिरिणाम् इन्द्रः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• पार्षदान्: to the attendants
• पार्षदान्: Karma (Addressed/target/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रति: towards; addressing
• प्रति: Pratiyogin/Direction (Towards/प्रति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गसदृश-प्रयोग (towards/with regard to)

• सत्वरम्: quickly; hastily
• सत्वरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb: quickly)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (divine assembly motif)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, alert and urgent, turns toward Pārvatī, Himālaya personified as a regal mountain-king, and a cluster of gaṇas; gestures indicate rapid counsel to prevent a dangerous departure.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Girīndra (Himālaya)
• Pārṣadas (Śiva’s attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timely guidance by a sage (ṛṣi) is shown as a stabilizing force when a divine or human situation becomes unsettled.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Himalayan sacred realm associated with Kedāra-khaṇḍa is the setting; the verse itself focuses on characters within that geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.