Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

वेदिकोपरि विन्यस्तां यथैव शशिनः कलाम् । स देवस्तां निरीक्ष्याथ बटुर्भूत्वाथ तत्क्षणात्

Transliteration

vedikopari vinyastāṃ yathaiva śaśinaḥ kalām | sa devastāṃ nirīkṣyātha baṭurbhūtvātha tatkṣaṇāt

Translation

وُضِعَتْ على منصة المذبح كَهِلالِ القمر، فنظر إليها الإله؛ وفي تلك اللحظة عينها اتخذ هيئةَ بَتُو—ناسكٍ فتى.

Word by Word

• वेदिकायाम्: on the altar-platform
• वेदिकायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• उपरि: upon/on
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition/adverb)

• विन्यस्ताम्: placed
• विन्यस्ताम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ni-√as (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषण

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• शशिनः: of the moon
• शशिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaśin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• कलाम्: a digit/crescent
• कलाम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निरीक्ष्य: having observed
• निरीक्ष्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-īkṣ (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: अव्यय-कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त), पूर्वकाल (having looked at)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (sequence marker)

• बटुः: a young brahmacārin boy
• बटुः: Karta (Predicative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: baṭu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्यय-कृदन्त (क्त्वान्त), पूर्वकाल

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (sequence marker)

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately
• तत्क्षणात्: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (immediately/from that moment)

Speaker

Lomaśa (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (tapas-vedikā locale within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer(s) within the māhātmya discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī is shown poised upon a ritual altar-platform, luminous like a crescent moon; Śiva gazes and instantly becomes a young ascetic (baṭu), initiating a concealed approach.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Baṭu (youth ascetic form)
• Candra (moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s līlā includes taking humble forms to engage, test, or instruct—divinity can appear in unexpected guises.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode unfolds in Kedārakhaṇḍa, reinforcing Kedāra’s sacred atmosphere where Śiva’s presence and līlā are vividly narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse alludes to a vedikā (altar/platform), suggesting a ritual setting without specifying a rite.