Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अहं हि सर्वदा स्तौमि नारदं देवदर्शनम् । महेंद्रगदितेनैव स्तोत्रेण शृणु तन्नृप

Transliteration

ahaṃ hi sarvadā staumi nāradaṃ devadarśanam | maheṃdragaditenaiva stotreṇa śṛṇu tannṛpa

Translation

แท้จริงเราสรรเสริญพระฤๅษีนารท ผู้เห็นทวยเทพอยู่เสมอ โอ้พระราชา จงสดับบทสรรเสริญที่มหินทรา (มหेंद्र) ตรัสไว้เองนั้นเถิด

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/पदार्थसूचकः (particle: indeed/for)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• स्तौमि: I praise
• स्तौमि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person); एकवचनम् (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• नारदम्: Nārada
• नारदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)

• देवदर्शनम्: one who has vision of the gods / god-seeing
• देवदर्शनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां दर्शनम्/देवदर्शनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गः; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying नारदम्)

• महेंद्रगदितेन: spoken by Mahendra
• महेंद्रगदितेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेंद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (महेंद्रेण गदितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle: only/indeed)

• स्तोत्रेण: with (this) hymn
• स्तोत्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; एकवचनम्; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental singular)

• शृणु: hear/listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: that (hymn)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; एकवचनम्; सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced); internal quotation introduces Indra’s hymn

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal listener sits respectfully as a narrator announces a hymn spoken by Mahendra; Nārada is envisioned as radiant devarṣi with vīṇā, embodying ‘devadarśana’.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mahendra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saintly praise (stuti) preserves and transmits sacred qualities; hearing hymns is itself a dharmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse introduces a stotra tradition within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devotional listening) of a stotra is implied: “śṛṇu”—hear the hymn.