Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

क्वाहमल्पमतिः पार्थ क्वापरौ हरित्र्यंबकौ । देविकेनैव मानेन पातालेष्वपि गण्यते

Transliteration

kvāhamalpamatiḥ pārtha kvāparau haritryaṃbakau | devikenaiva mānena pātāleṣvapi gaṇyate

Translation

أين أنا، قليلَ الفهم، يا بارثا (Pārtha)، وأين هما ذانك الاثنان: هاري (Hari) وتريَمبَكَ (Tryambaka)؟ إنما يُحصى ذلك بمقياس الديفي (Devī) نفسها، حتى في عوالم پاتالا (Pātāla) السفلى.

Word by Word

• क्व: where
• क्व: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्ययम् (interrogative adverb: 'where?')

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative singular pronoun)

• अल्पमतिḥ: (one) of little intellect
• अल्पमतिḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्प + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative singular); कर्मधारय-समासः (one of little intellect)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; सम्बोधन-एकवचनम् (Vocative singular)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्ययम् (interrogative adverb)

• अपरौ: the other two
• अपरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-द्विवचनम् (Nominative dual)

• हरि-त्र्यम्बकौ: Hari and Tryambaka (Śiva)
• हरि-त्र्यम्बकौ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + त्र्यम्बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-द्विवचनम् (Nominative dual); द्वन्द्व-समासः (Hari and Tryambaka)

• देविकेन: by/with Devikā
• देविकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देविका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः; तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• मानेन: by measure/standard
• मानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular)

• पातालेषु: in the netherworlds
• पातालेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; सप्तमी-बहुवचनम् (Locative plural)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle: 'also/even')

• गण्यते: is counted/considered
• गण्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गण् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (Passive); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Māheśvara Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-speaker, hands folded, confesses limited understanding before the vast, paired presence of Hari (Viṣṇu) and Tryambaka (Śiva), with Devī’s unseen ‘measure’ symbolized as a cosmic scale spanning even Pātāla.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha
• Hari
• Tryambaka
• Devī
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True knowledge begins with humility; divine greatness is ultimately apprehended only through the supreme standard of the Devī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is theological/cosmological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it emphasizes reverence and humility rather than a stated rite.