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

他凝望商婆端坐于至上宝座，沉浸于苦行——诸天至上者之主——顶戴恒河，喉色如尼罗檀摩罗般幽黑，发髻盘结，并以新月为饰。

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.