Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सन्नृपुरे शङ्खकपद्मकाभ्यां संधारयंतं च विराजमानम् । कर्पूरगौरं शितिकंठमद्भुतं वृपान्वितं देववरं ददर्शुः

Transliteration

sannṛpure śaṅkhakapadmakābhyāṃ saṃdhārayaṃtaṃ ca virājamānam | karpūragauraṃ śitikaṃṭhamadbhutaṃ vṛpānvitaṃ devavaraṃ dadarśuḥ

Translation

ในนครทิพย์นั้น เขาทั้งหลายได้เห็นพระผู้เป็นเจ้าอันประเสริฐยิ่ง ทรงรุ่งโรจน์ ทรงถือสังข์และดอกบัว งามอัศจรรย์ ผ่องขาวดุจการบูร พระศอสีคราม และทรงเดชานุภาพยิ่งใหญ่

Word by Word

• सत्-नृपुरे: in the noble city
• सत्-नृपुरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + नृपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सत् नृपुरम्)

• शङ्ख-क-पद्मकाभ्याम्: with the conch and the lotus
• शङ्ख-क-पद्मकाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (शङ्खकपद्मके)

• संधारयन्तम्: holding
• संधारयन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+धृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विराजमानम्: shining, resplendent
• विराजमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+राज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present middle participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कर्पूर-गौरम्: camphor-white
• कर्पूर-गौरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्पूर (प्रातिपदिक) + गौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (कर्पूर इव गौरः)

• शितिकण्ठम्: the blue-throated one
• शितिकण्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिति (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (शितिः कण्ठः यस्य)

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful
• अद्भुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वृष-अन्वितम्: accompanied by the bull
• वृष-अन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वृषेण अन्वितः)

• देव-वरम्: the best of gods
• देव-वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवानां वरः)

• ददर्शुः: they saw
• ददर्शुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) describing the vision

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a luminous divine cityscape, the supreme Lord appears camphor-white yet blue-throated, radiant and majestic, holding conch and lotus—an intentionally syncretic, awe-inducing theophany witnessed by assembled beings.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śitikaṇṭha)
• Conch (Śaṅkha)
• Lotus (Padma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine darśana reveals the Lord as both awe-inspiring and compassionate—radiant purity (karpūra-gaura) joined with cosmic sacrifice (blue throat).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sacred realm (Kedārakṣetra), presented as a divine abode where the gods gain vision of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse supports devotional visualization of the deity’s form as part of praise and remembrance.