Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सुलक्षणाषाढधरः सद्वृत्तः प्रति भानवान् । ततस्तं पूजयामासुस्तत्सख्यो बहुमानतः

Transliteration

sulakṣaṇāṣāḍhadharaḥ sadvṛttaḥ prati bhānavān | tatastaṃ pūjayāmāsustatsakhyo bahumānataḥ

Translation

ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਗਾਂ ਉੱਤੇ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਲੱਛਣ ਸਨ ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਆਸ਼ਾਢ਼ ਦਾ ਵਸਤ੍ਰ ਧਾਰਨ ਕਰਦਾ ਸੀ; ਉਹ ਸੁਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਬੁੱਧੀ ਦੇ ਤੇਜ ਨਾਲ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ਮਾਨ। ਤਦ ਉਸ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਖੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਬੜੇ ਮਾਨ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕੀਤੀ।

Word by Word

• su-lakṣaṇa-āṣāḍha-dharaḥ: wearing an excellent āṣāḍha (garment) with good marks
• su-lakṣaṇa-āṣāḍha-dharaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āṣāḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः; विशेषणम् (to implied 'saḥ'/Hara)

• sat-vṛttaḥ: of good conduct
• sat-vṛttaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtta (प्रातिपदिक; √vṛt)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः; विशेषणम्

• prati: towards, in respect to
• prati: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपसर्गसदृशं कर्मप्रवचनीयम् (preposition: 'towards/with regard to')

• bhānavān: radiant, illustrious
• bhānavān: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhānavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनुक्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• pūjayāmāsuḥ: worshipped, honored
• pūjayāmāsuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person) बहुवचनम्; (periphrastic/āma-formation)

• tat-sakhyaḥ: his female friends/companions
• tat-sakhyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः ('his friends')

• bahu-mānataḥ: with great respect
• bahu-mānataḥ: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + māna (प्रातिपदिक) + -tas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषणम् (ablatival adverb: 'out of great respect')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brahmacārin appears radiant and well-marked; Pārvatī’s companions approach with folded hands, offering respectful worship—water, flowers, and a seat—within a forest hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (as brahmacārin)
• Pārvatī’s companions

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma praises honoring a virtuous guest; reverence to ascetics becomes reverence to God.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly praised in this verse; the narrative remains in the Himalayan tapas locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (honoring/worship) offered to the visiting brahmacārin-like figure is implied as proper conduct.