Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

इति पृष्टोऽस्मि शैलेन प्रावोचं कारणं तदा । सर्वदैव करो ह्यस्याः सर्वेषां प्राणिनां प्रति

Transliteration

iti pṛṣṭo'smi śailena prāvocaṃ kāraṇaṃ tadā | sarvadaiva karo hyasyāḥ sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ prati

Translation

เมื่อภูเขา (หิมาลัย) ถามข้าพเจ้า ข้าพเจ้าจึงกล่าวเหตุในกาลนั้นว่า: พระหัตถ์ของนางยื่นออกด้วยเมตตาต่อสรรพสัตว์ทั้งปวงอยู่เสมอ

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरणार्थक (quotative particle)

• पृष्टः: (having been) asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pṛṣ (धातु) → pṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘asked’

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष? (न); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शैलेन: by the mountain (Śaila)
• शैलेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (by the mountain)

• प्रावोचम्: I spoke/told
• प्रावोचम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कारणम्: the reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• करः: the hand
• करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; for/indeed)

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (प्राणिवाचक), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश/पूर्वसर्ग; ‘towards/with regard to’ (governs accusative)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himālaya (as Devī-pitṛkṣetra motif)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Himālaya (Śaila/Mahīdhara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator explains to the personified Himālaya why Devī’s hand is ever extended toward all beings—an iconographic prelude to the abhaya-mudrā and maternal protection.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Himālaya
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine motherhood is shown as universal compassion—grace directed toward every living being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the verse explains a theological symbol of Pārvatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied teaching is compassion toward all beings as dharma.