Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरा निमित्ते कस्मिंश्चित्सर्वतीर्थाधिदैवताः । प्रणामाय ब्रह्मसदो ब्रह्माणं सहिता ययुः

Transliteration

purā nimitte kasmiṃścitsarvatīrthādhidaivatāḥ | praṇāmāya brahmasado brahmāṇaṃ sahitā yayuḥ

Translation

กาลครั้งหนึ่ง ในโอกาสหนึ่ง เทวะผู้เป็นประธานแห่งตถาคตสถานท่าศักดิ์สิทธิ์ทั้งปวง (ตีรถะ) ได้พร้อมใจกันไปยังสภาแห่งพรหม เพื่อกราบนอบน้อมแด่พระพรหมผู้ประทับอยู่ ณ ที่นั้น

Word by Word

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• nimitte: on an occasion
• nimitte: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nimitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• kasmiṃcit: on some (occasion)
• kasmiṃcit: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + cit (अव्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम with अव्यय 'cit' (indefinite)

• sarvatīrthādhidaivatāḥ: the presiding deities of all tīrthas
• sarvatīrthādhidaivatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-tīrtha-adhi-daivatā (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + तीर्थ + अधि + दैवता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• praṇāmāya: for paying obeisance
• praṇāmāya: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति (4th/Dative); एकवचन

• brahmasadaḥ: from the assembly of Brahmā (Brahmā’s court)
• brahmasadaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-sadas (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + सदस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative); बहुवचन

• brahmāṇam: Brahmā
• brahmāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• sahitāḥ: together, accompanied
• sahitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √sah)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used adjectivally (agreeing with daivatāḥ)

• yayuḥ: went
• yayuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha-adhidaivata-samāgama (assembly of presiding deities of all tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand celestial court: Brahmā seated in assembly; a procession of radiant tīrtha-deities arrives together, hands folded, bearing emblems of their respective sacred sites (lotus-lakes, seashore conch, mountain peaks, river jars).

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Sarvatīrtha-adhidaivatāḥ (deities presiding over all tīrthas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the greatest holy places are upheld by divine order and humility; reverence (praṇāma) is foundational to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is isolated; the verse introduces the collective glory of all tīrthas through their presiding deities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act implied is praṇāma (salutation), a core devotional practice that precedes other merits.