Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तदासाद्य स हैडंबिर्मेरोः शिखरवद्ग्रहम् । द्वारि स्थितां संददर्श कर्णप्रावरणां सखीम्

Transliteration

tadāsādya sa haiḍaṃbirmeroḥ śikharavadgraham | dvāri sthitāṃ saṃdadarśa karṇaprāvaraṇāṃ sakhīm

Translation

抵达那座宅邸——高耸如须弥山（Meru）之峰——海ḍambī在门前看见一位女伴，名为“卡尔那普罗阿瓦拉那”（Karṇaprāvaraṇā），正立于其处。

Word by Word

• तत्: that (place/house)
• तत्: Karma (Object of ‘āsādya’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (गृहं/स्थानं प्रति)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-sad (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययीभाव-भावे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive): ‘having reached’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हैडंबिः: Haiḍaṃbi (name/epithet)
• हैडंबिः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haiḍaṃbi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (नाम/विशेषणवत्)

• मेरोः: of Meru
• मेरोः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: meru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिखरवत्: like a peak
• शिखरवत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śikhara-vat (प्रातिपदिक; शिखर + वत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमानवाचक (like a peak), विशेषण (qualifying ग्रहम्)

• गृहम्: the house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वारि: at the door
• द्वारि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थिताम्: standing
• स्थिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सखीम्)

• संददर्श: saw
• संददर्श: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कर्णप्रावरणाम्: with ear-coverings/ear-ornaments
• कर्णप्रावरणाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karṇa-prāvaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक; कर्ण + प्रावरण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सखीम्)

• सखीम्: a female companion
• सखीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the towering doorway: the arriving Haiḍambi pauses; a female companion/door-attendant named Karṇaprāvaraṇā stands poised, adorned with ear-ornaments or ear-covering adornment, signaling rank and readiness to question entrants.

Characters & Entities

• Meru
• Haiḍambi
• Karṇaprāvaraṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grand settings in Purāṇas introduce pivotal meetings—discernment is needed when approaching alluring but dangerous domains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; Meru is used as a mythic point of comparison for the mansion’s height.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.