Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

उच्छ्रितं चातिशृंगं च महापाषाणयोधिनौ । स्वाहेयाय ददौ प्रीतः स विंध्यः पार्षदौ शुभौ

Transliteration

ucchritaṃ cātiśṛṃgaṃ ca mahāpāṣāṇayodhinau | svāheyāya dadau prītaḥ sa viṃdhyaḥ pārṣadau śubhau

Translation

उच्छ्रितम् अतिशृङ्गं च महापाषाणयोधिनौ; स विंध्यः प्रीतः स्वाहेयाय शुभौ पार्षदौ ददौ।

Word by Word

• उच्छ्रितम्: Ucchrita (the lofty one)
• उच्छ्रितम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + श्रि (धातु) → उच्छ्रित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अतिशृङ्गम्: Atiśṛṅga (the very-peaked one)
• अतिशृङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अति-शृङ्ग = very-peaked)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महापाषाणयोधिनौ: the two great rock-fighters
• महापाषाणयोधिनौ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पाषाण + योधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual); तत्पुरुष (महापाषाणैः योधिनौ = fighters with great rocks)

• स्वाहेयाय: to Svāheya (son of Svāhā)
• स्वाहेयाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाहेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रीतः: pleased
• प्रीतः: Karta-visheshana (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्री (धातु) → प्रीत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्तृविशेषण (predicate adjective)

• स: he
• स: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विन्ध्यः: Vindhya (mountain)
• विन्ध्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पार्षदौ: two attendants
• पार्षदौ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• शुभौ: auspicious, excellent (two)
• शुभौ: Karma-visheshana (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; कर्मविशेषण

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vindhya (as sacred mountain-kṣetra complex)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna) / devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vindhya, depicted as a powerful mountain-king, presents two towering gaṇa-warriors—Ucchrita and Atiśṛṅga—who wield massive boulders as weapons, before Skanda.

Characters & Entities

• Vindhya
• Svāheya (Skanda)
• Ucchrita
• Atiśṛṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Strength becomes sacred when offered in service—power is sanctified by devotion to Dharma’s protector.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No pilgrimage site is singled out; Vindhya is invoked as a sacred mountain power supporting Skanda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.