Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

प्रवृत्तिश्च निवृत्तिश्च तथा द्वंद्वानि सर्वशः । विलयं यांति यत्रैव तत्स्थानं शाश्वतं मतम्

Transliteration

pravṛttiśca nivṛttiśca tathā dvaṃdvāni sarvaśaḥ | vilayaṃ yāṃti yatraiva tatsthānaṃ śāśvataṃ matam

Translation

حيثُ تنحلّ الحركةُ والانكفاءُ، وجميعُ الثنائياتِ على الإطلاق، انحلالًا تامًّا—فذلكَ المقامُ يُعَدُّ أبديًّا.

Word by Word

• प्रवृत्तिः: activity; outward engagement
• प्रवृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; √वृत् + प्र- उपसर्ग, स्त्रीलिङ्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• निवृत्तिः: withdrawal; cessation
• निवृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; √वृत् + नि- उपसर्ग, स्त्रीलिङ्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise; also
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (adverb: 'likewise/also')

• द्वन्द्वानि: pairs of opposites; dualities
• द्वन्द्वानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• सर्वशः: altogether; in every way
• सर्वशः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'in every way/entirely')

• विलयम्: dissolution; merging
• विलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• यान्ति: go; attain
• यान्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• तत्स्थानम्: that place; its abode
• तत्स्थानम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य स्थानम् = 'its place')

• शाश्वतम्: eternal
• शाश्वतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तत्स्थानम्)

• मतम्: is held/considered (as)
• मतम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक; √मन्/√मि 'to think' से निष्पन्न, 'opinion/considered')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective: 'is considered')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (ṛṣi/kingly interlocutor typical of māhātmya frames)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan shrine-scape of Kedāra: snow peaks, stone temple, and a yogin seated in stillness as symbolic pairs (day/night, heat/cold, joy/sorrow) fade into a single luminous expanse behind Śiva’s presence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The eternal is where all opposites—and even the polarity of action vs renunciation—cease.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sacred frame presents liberation as the ‘abode’ where dualities dissolve, aligning the tīrtha with mokṣa-oriented teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it defines the nature of the eternal goal rather than prescribing a rite.