Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

प्रणम्य ते महेशानं तस्थुः प्रांजलयोऽग्रतः । तानुवाच सुरान्सर्वान्हरो दृष्ट्वा समागतान्

Transliteration

praṇamya te maheśānaṃ tasthuḥ prāṃjalayo'grataḥ | tānuvāca surānsarvānharo dṛṣṭvā samāgatān

Translation

മഹേശാനനെ പ്രണാമം ചെയ്ത് അവർ കൈകൂപ്പി അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ നിന്നു. സമാഗമിച്ച എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരെയും കണ്ട ഹരൻ അവരോടു സംസാരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having bowed’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेशानम्: Maheshāna (Śiva)
• महेशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्थुः: stood
• तस्थुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्राञ्जलयः: with folded hands
• प्राञ्जलयः: Karta (Appositional to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (hands folded)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘in front’

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• उवाच: said, spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुरान्: the gods
• सुरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having seen’

• समागतान्: assembled, arrived
• समागतान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (to सुरान्)

Speaker

Gālava (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandarācala (contextual)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Anagha/suvrata interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods bow to Maheśāna and stand before him with folded hands; Śiva, seeing them assembled, begins to speak—an iconic ‘divine audience’ tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna
• Hara
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence precedes revelation: humility (praṇāma, prāñjali) is shown as the proper approach to divine instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting continues from Mandarācala; no additional tīrtha is newly specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The devotional gesture of praṇāma (bowing) and standing with folded hands is exemplified.