Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

स्तूयतां वै महादेवो महेशः कार्यगौरवात्

Transliteration

stūyatāṃ vai mahādevo maheśaḥ kāryagauravāt

Translation

“कार्याच्या गंभीरतेमुळे महादेव महेशाचेच स्तवन केले जावे.”

Word by Word

• स्तूयताम्: let (him) be praised
• स्तूयताम्: Kriya (Injunctive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (let him be praised)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; निश्चयार्थ

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (the great god)
• महादेवः: Karman (Logical object of passive ‘stūyatām’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (महान् देवः)

• महेशः: Maheśa (great lord)
• महेशः: Karman (Apposition to ‘mahādevaḥ’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (महान् ईशः)

• कार्यगौरवात्: because of the importance/weight of the task
• कार्यगौरवात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (गौरव-शब्दः पुं), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (कार्यस्य गौरवम्)

Speaker

Pareśa / Maheśvara (Śiva) (deduced from preceding verse where he begins speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kedārakhaṇḍa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A directive is issued: ‘Let Mahādeva be praised’—devas preparing for a grave mission, hands folded, attention focused on Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Maheśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In times of crisis, stuti (praise) is a dharmic first step—aligning the mind with the Lord who accomplishes the impossible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this line; it functions as a transition into a Śiva-stuti within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yes—stūti (praising Mahādeva) is prescribed as the appropriate devotional act.