Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अर्धचंद्रधराः सर्वे सर्वे चैव महौजसः । सर्वे ते वृषभारूढाः सर्वे ते वेषभूषणाः

Transliteration

ardhacaṃdradharāḥ sarve sarve caiva mahaujasaḥ | sarve te vṛṣabhārūḍhāḥ sarve te veṣabhūṣaṇāḥ

Translation

ทุกองค์ทรงจันทร์เสี้ยวไว้; ทุกองค์เปี่ยมด้วยรัศมีและฤทธิ์เดชยิ่งนัก ทุกองค์ประทับบนโคพฤษภ และทุกองค์ประดับด้วยอาภรณ์และเครื่องทรงอันเป็นเอกลักษณ์

Word by Word

• अर्धचंद्रधराः: bearing the half-moon
• अर्धचंद्रधराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त; √धृ (धातु), ण्वुल्/अच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘धर’ = धारयिता; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः—अर्धचन्द्रं धरन्ति

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (पुनरुक्ति-बलार्थम्)

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

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

• महौजसः: of great vigor
• महौजसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः—महच्च तत् ओजः यस्य/येषाम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• वृषभारूढाः: mounted on bulls
• वृषभारूढाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) उपसर्ग आ, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः—वृषभम् आरूढाः

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्

• वेषभूषणाः: with attire and ornaments
• वेषभूषणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेष (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः—वेषाश्च भूषणानि च (समाहारार्थे विशेषणत्वेन)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant host of Śiva-forms: each bears the crescent moon, shines with great ojas, rides a bull, and wears distinctive Śaiva ornaments—creating a repeating pattern of Chandrasekhara imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Crescent moon (ardhacandra)
• Vṛṣabha (bull mount)
• Śiva (implied by insignia)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva identity is conveyed through sacred marks (moon, bull mount), teaching that inner allegiance to dharma is reflected through divine symbolism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa setting frames the narrative within Kedāra sanctity; the verse itself is iconographic rather than topographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the appearance and mounts of the Śaiva host.