Shloka 6

The Greatness of Śukla Tīrtha: Bathing, Fasting, Charity, and Śiva Worship

Devanagari script

स्कंदनंदिमहाकालैर्वीरभद्र गणादिभिः । उमया सहितं देवं मार्कंडः परिपृच्छति

Transliteration

skaṃdanaṃdimahākālairvīrabhadra gaṇādibhiḥ | umayā sahitaṃ devaṃ mārkaṃḍaḥ paripṛcchati

Translation

Ketika Tuhan itu bersama Umā, sedang dilayani oleh Skanda, Nandin, Mahākāla, Vīrabhadra serta rombongan Gaṇa yang lain, maka Mārkaṇḍa pun mengajukan pertanyaan kepada-Nya.

Word by Word

• स्कन्दनन्दिमहाकालैः: by Skanda, Nandin, and Mahākāla
• स्कन्दनन्दिमहाकालैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द + नन्दि + महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—स्कन्दश्च नन्दी च महाकालश्च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• वीरभद्र: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्र: अनिर्णीत/सम्बन्ध (uncertain due to reading; likely करण with others)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—वीरः भद्रः (कर्मधारय); (पाठे सम्भाव्यं: वीरभद्रैः इति तृतीया-बहुवचन, परन्तु प्रदत्तपाठे ‘वीरभद्र’)

• गणादिभिः: by the gaṇas and others
• गणादिभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—गणाः आदयः येषाम्/गणादयः (समाहार/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोग)

• उमया: with Umā
• उमया: सहकारक/सह (Association; सहार्थे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सहितम्: accompanied (together)
• सहितम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; qualifier of देवं)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (कृदन्त; √सह्/सह्-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (kta) ‘accompanied’

• देवम्: the god (Śiva)
• देवम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मार्कण्डः: Mārkaṇḍa
• मार्कण्डः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• परिपृच्छति: asks, inquires
• परिपृच्छति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present/Lat), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Mārkaṇḍa’s inquiry); Mārkaṇḍa is the inquirer addressing Śiva

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्कन्दनन्दिमहाकालैः = स्कन्द + नन्दि + महाकालैः (द्वन्द्व); (पाठे ‘वीरभद्र’ पदस्य विभक्तिः सन्दिग्धा—समुच्चयेन तृतीया अपेक्ष्यते).

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Nandin
• Mahākāla
• Vīrabhadra
• Gaṇas
• Umā
• Deva (Śiva)
• Mārkaṇḍa

FAQs

Who is being addressed in this verse, and who is asking the question?

Sage Mārkaṇḍa is the one who asks, and the addressed deity is the Lord (Deva), understood here as Śiva, who is with Umā.

Why are Skanda, Nandin, Mahākāla, and Vīrabhadra mentioned together?

They are invoked as Śiva’s prominent attendants and aspects/associates, emphasizing His majesty and the retinue of divine forces (Gaṇas) surrounding Him during the dialogue.

What is the ethical or devotional lesson suggested by this setup?

The verse frames inquiry as a sacred act: a sage approaches the divine with reverence, indicating that sincere questioning and seeking instruction are honored paths to spiritual understanding.