Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स्वैः स्वैर्बलैः परिक्रांतास्तथान्ये प्रमथादयः । हिमाद्रिश्च महाशैल ऋषभो गंधमादनः

Transliteration

svaiḥ svairbalaiḥ parikrāṃtāstathānye pramathādayaḥ | himādriśca mahāśaila ṛṣabho gaṃdhamādanaḥ

Translation

รายล้อมด้วยกำลังของตน ๆ เหล่าอื่นอีก เช่น พวกประมถะ ก็เคลื่อนมาด้วย หิมาทรี (หิมาลัย) ภูเขาใหญ่ชื่อมหาศัยละ ฤษภะ และคันธมาทนะ ก็เข้าร่วมด้วย

Word by Word

• स्वैः: with their own
• स्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्वैः: with their respective
• स्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बलैः: forces, troops
• बलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परिक्रान्ताः: having marched around / having surrounded
• परिक्रान्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + √क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) 'परिक्रान्त'; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रमथ-आदयः: Pramathas and others
• प्रमथ-आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (आदि-समास); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हिमाद्रिः: Himādri (the हिमालय)
• हिमाद्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम (प्रातिपदिक) + अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• महाशैलः: the great mountain
• महाशैलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ऋषभः: Ṛṣabha
• ऋषभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गन्धमादनः: Gandhamādana (mountain)
• गन्धमादनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + मादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast Himalayan congregation: Śiva’s pramathas and other hosts arrive in ranks, while personified mountains—Himādri, Mahāśaila, Ṛṣabha, Gandhamādana—stand like living titans witnessing the sacred assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Pramathas
• Himālaya (Himādri)
• Mahāśaila
• Ṛṣabha (mountain)
• Gandhamādana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not only gods but even mountains and Śiva’s gaṇas participate—nature itself becomes a devotee in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra within the Himalayan sacred sphere, where the Mahātmya ties divine events to the living landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an evocative listing that sacralizes the Himalayan world around Kedāra.