Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

निरीक्ष्य शंभुं परमासने स्तितं तपो जुषाणं परमेष्ठिनां पतिम् । गंगाधरं नीलतमालकंठं कपर्दिनं चन्द्रकलासमेतम्

Transliteration

nirīkṣya śaṃbhuṃ paramāsane stitaṃ tapo juṣāṇaṃ parameṣṭhināṃ patim | gaṃgādharaṃ nīlatamālakaṃṭhaṃ kapardinaṃ candrakalāsametam

Translation

جب اُس نے شَمبھو کو اعلیٰ تخت پر متمکن، تپسیا میں محو—برتر ہستیوں کے پتی—دیکھا؛ گنگا دھار، نیل تمال کی مانند سیاہ گلے والا، جٹا دھاری اور ہلالِ ماہ سے آراستہ۔

Word by Word

• nirīkṣya: having looked at
• nirīkṣya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-īkṣ (धातु √ईक्ष्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु √ईक्ष् (to see) उपसर्गः निर्-; ‘having looked/after seeing’

• śaṃbhum: Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhum: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• parama-āsane: on the supreme seat
• parama-āsane: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘परमं आसनम्’

• sthitam: standing
• sthitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु √स्था)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘standing/placed’ (qualifying śaṃbhum)

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karman (Object of juṣāṇam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; (कर्मरूपेण)

• juṣāṇam: practising (penance)
• juṣāṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: juṣ (धातु √जुष्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘enjoying/practising’ (qualifying śaṃbhum)

• parameṣṭhinām: of the highest beings (gods)
• parameṣṭhinām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parameṣṭhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• patim: lord
• patim: Karman (Object; in apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; apposition to śaṃbhum

• gaṃgādharam: bearer of the Gaṅgā
• gaṃgādharam: Karman (Object; epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘गङ्गायाः धरः’

• nīla-tamāla-kaṇṭham: one with a neck dark like tamāla
• nīla-tamāla-kaṇṭham: Karman (Object; epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + tamāla (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘नीलः तमाल इव कण्ठः यस्य’ (epithet)

• kapardinam: the matted-haired one
• kapardinam: Karman (Object; epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapardin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘matted-haired’ epithet

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• candra-kalā-sametam: adorned with the moon-crescent
• candra-kalā-sametam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + kalā (प्रातिपदिक) + sameta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया/सह-भावार्थे तत्पुरुषः ‘चन्द्रकलया समेतः’ = ‘accompanied by the moon’s crescent’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva enthroned on a supreme seat in Himalayan austerity: matted locks holding Gaṅgā, crescent moon, dark-blue throat, serene tapas posture; a still, radiant atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Gaṅgā
• Candra-kalā (crescent moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the supreme lord whose tapas sustains cosmic order; his iconography signifies mastery over time (moon) and purification (Gaṅgā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, where Śiva’s austerity is celebrated as the sanctifying core of the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it is devotional-dhyāna style description supporting tīrtha glorification.