Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वृषं विभूषयामासुर्नानारत्नोपपत्तिभिः । शक्रो गजजिनं गृह्य स्वयमग्रे व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

vṛṣaṃ vibhūṣayāmāsurnānāratnopapattibhiḥ | śakro gajajinaṃ gṛhya svayamagre vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

Mereka menghias Lembu Suci dengan pelbagai permata yang berharga. Indra (Śakra), sambil memegang kulit gajah, berdiri sendiri di hadapan, siap untuk mempersembahkannya.

Word by Word

• वृषम्: the bull (Nandin)
• वृषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विभूषयामासुः: adorned
• विभूषयामासुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भूष् (धातु; causative विभूषय-)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्ष-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिजन्त (causative)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययम् (indeclinable adjective; ‘various’)

• रत्न: gems
• रत्न: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समास-पूर्वपद)

• उपपत्तिभिः: with fittings/arrangements
• उपपत्तिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपपत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गजजिनम्: elephant-hide
• गजजिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज-जिन (प्रातिपदिक; गज + जिन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गजस्य जिनम्)

• गृह्य: having taken
• गृह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having taken)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb; ‘himself’)

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Desha (Adverbial place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः/क्रियाविशेषणम्; अव्ययवत् सप्तमी (adverb ‘in front’)

• व्यवस्थितः: stood stationed
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (State/action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अव-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas adorn Nandin with many jewels; Indra steps forward holding an elephant-hide as an offering, forming a ceremonial yet martial tableau before Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣa (Nandin/Bull of Śiva)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Gajajina (elephant-hide)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring Śiva includes honoring His vāhana (Nandin); reverence to the Lord naturally extends to His divine attendants and symbols.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on devotional offering within the Śaiva sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None as a rule; it depicts offering and decoration (alaṅkāra) as devotional acts.