Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वेति वचनं रुद्राद्देवानां श्रृण्वतां गुहः । विस्मितः प्रणिपत्यैनं तुष्टाव गिरिजापतिम्

Transliteration

śrutveti vacanaṃ rudrāddevānāṃ śrṛṇvatāṃ guhaḥ | vismitaḥ praṇipatyainaṃ tuṣṭāva girijāpatim

Translation

Setelah mendengar sabda Rudra ketika para dewa sedang mendengarkan, Guha terperanjat, lalu bersujud dan memuji Tuhan, Sang Suami Girijā (Pārvatī).

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having heard)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिबोधक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• वचनम्: the statement/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• रुद्रात्: from Rudra
• रुद्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• शृण्वताम्: who were listening
• शृण्वताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → शृण्वत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; ‘देवानाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गुहः: Guha (Kārttikeya)
• गुहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• विस्मितः: astonished
• विस्मितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (प्रातिपदिक/क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past participial adjective), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘गुहः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + नि + पत् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वार्थ)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having bowed down)

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तुष्टाव: praised
• तुष्टाव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गिरिजापतिम्: the husband of Girijā (Śiva)
• गिरिजापतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास (गिरिजायाः पतिः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara / Guptakṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the presence of listening gods, Guha—struck with wonder—bows to Rudra and offers hymns to Girijā-pati (Śiva), capturing a devotional climax after a sacred proclamation.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Devas
• Guha
• Girijā
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When divine truth about a sacred site is proclaimed, the proper response is humility and praise—devotion deepens through hearing and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context points to Guptakṣetra and Kumāreśvara, whose greatness Rudra has just declared.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prostration (praṇipāta) and stotra (praise) as devotional acts.