Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। नारद उवाच । व्रजंती गिरिजाऽपश्यत्सखीं मातुर्महाप्रभाम् । कुसुमामोदिनींनाम तस्य शैलस्य देवताम्

Transliteration

| nārada uvāca | vrajaṃtī girijā'paśyatsakhīṃ māturmahāprabhām | kusumāmodinīṃnāma tasya śailasya devatām

Translation

ਨਾਰਦ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਜਦੋਂ ਗਿਰਿਜਾ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਧ ਰਹੀ ਸੀ, ਉਸਨੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਮਾਤਾ ਦੀ ਇਕ ਮਹਾਪ੍ਰਭਾ ਸਖੀ ਨੂੰ ਵੇਖਿਆ—ਉਸ ਪਹਾੜ ਦੀ ਦੇਵੀ, ਜਿਸਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਕੁਸੁਮਾਮੋਦਿਨੀ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• vrajantī: going
• vrajantī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• girijā: Girijā (Pārvatī)
• girijā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: girijā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• apaśyat: saw
• apaśyat: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• sakhīm: a female friend
• sakhīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• mātuḥ: of (her) mother
• mātuḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• mahāprabhām: of great radiance
• mahāprabhām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती प्रभा यस्याः)

• kusumāmodinīm: Kusumāmodinī (flower-fragrant one)
• kusumāmodinīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Appositional qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kusuma (प्रातिपदिक) + āmodinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुसुमानाम् आमोदिनी)

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming marker/संज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः, संज्ञासूचक-अव्यय (indeclinable indicating name)

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• śailasya: of the mountain
• śailasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• devatām: the deity
• devatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himādri (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada narrates: Girijā, while traveling, beholds a radiant female deity of the mountain, Kusumāmodinī, described as a friend of her mother.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Kusumāmodinī (mountain-deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are living with presiding powers—Purāṇic dharma honors the devatās of landscapes as part of spiritual travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular mountain (śaila) is indicated, presided over by Kusumāmodinī; the verse highlights sacred geography rather than a named river-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces a meeting with the mountain’s devatā, a common prelude to guidance or boon in māhātmya sections.