Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

शंभुना हि विना तात कथं यज्ञः प्रवर्तते । एते कथं समायाता ब्रह्मणा सहिताः पितः

Transliteration

śaṃbhunā hi vinā tāta kathaṃ yajñaḥ pravartate | ete kathaṃ samāyātā brahmaṇā sahitāḥ pitaḥ

Translation

«يا أبتِ الحبيب، كيف يمضي اليَجْنَةُ من غير شَمبهو (Śambhu)؟ ثم يا أبي، كيف حضر هؤلاء الآلهةُ إلى هنا ومعهم براهما (Brahmā)؟»

Word by Word

• शंभुना: with Śambhu; (here) without Śambhu
• शंभुना: Apadana/Exclusion complement (with 'vinā')
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Prayojaka-nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-प्राय (emphatic/indeed)

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana/Exclusion (without/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: वियोगार्थ-अव्यय (without), उपपद-नियामक

• तात: dear one, son (vocative)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• यज्ञः: the sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds, takes place
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्; धातु: वृत्, उपसर्ग: प्र

• एते: these (people)
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• समायाताः: have come together, arrived
• समायाताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-रूप)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ√या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle/क्तवतु-प्राय प्रयोग), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण/विधेय (predicate)

• ब्रह्मणा: with Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सहिताः: accompanied, together with
• सहिताः: Karta-anvaya (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (अव्यय) + इ (धातु) → सहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (एते)

• पितः: O father
• पितः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन (वैदिक/छान्दस रूप: पितः = पितर्/पितः)

Speaker

Devī (deduced continuation; addressing ‘tāta’ and ‘pitaḥ’ within a familial dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages; within verse the Goddess addresses her father/elder and the yajña host

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess addresses her father/elder (tāta/pitaḥ) amid a grand assembly: devas seated in splendor, Brahmā with four faces present; the empty seat/absence of Śiva is conspicuous, creating tension.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Brahmā
• Devas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the indispensable foundation of sacred action; excluding him disrupts both ritual efficacy and cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s broader aim is Kedāra Mahātmya; this verse builds the doctrinal basis for Śiva-centered pilgrimage and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: ensure Śiva’s invocation and honor as prerequisite for yajña to be valid and fruitful.