Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

एनं विज्ञातुमिच्छामि किंनामासौ गणस्तव । श्रीशंकर उवाच । स एष वीरक देवी सदा मेद्रिसुते प्रियः

Transliteration

enaṃ vijñātumicchāmi kiṃnāmāsau gaṇastava | śrīśaṃkara uvāca | sa eṣa vīraka devī sadā medrisute priyaḥ

Translation

“ข้าปรารถนาจะรู้จักเขา—คณะ (คณะเทพ) ของท่านผู้นี้ชื่ออะไร?” พระศรีศังกรตรัสว่า: “พระเทวี นี่คือ วีรกะ ผู้เป็นที่รักของเราเสมอ โอ ธิดาแห่งขุนเขา”

Word by Word

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

• विज्ञातुम्: to know/identify
• विज्ञातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययभाव; ‘to know/recognize’

• इच्छामि: I wish
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• नाम: by name; indeed
• नाम: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न-निपात (interrogative particle, ‘indeed/by name’)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; दूर-निर्देशक

• गणः: attendant; gaṇa
• गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्रीशंकरः: the revered Śaṅkara
• श्रीशंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः—श्री-शंकरः (कर्मधारय)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• वीरकः: Vīraka (name)
• वीरकः: Pratijna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक-क्रियाविशेषण

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अद्रिसुते: O daughter of the mountain
• अद्रिसुते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रि + सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—अद्रेः सुता (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रियः: dear
• प्रियः: Pratijna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Devī (first half); Śrī Śaṅkara/Śiva (second half)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī, addressed as Adrisutā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks Śiva the name of the gaṇa; Śaṅkara replies affectionately, identifying him as Vīraka, dear to him, addressing Devī as ‘daughter of the Mountain’.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śrī Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Vīraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa highlights intimacy between the Divine and devoted attendants—service (sevā) to Śiva is portrayed as a path to divine closeness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; this is a character-identification moment within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dialogue identifying the gaṇa by name.