Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

स पणं च तदा चक्रे छलेन महता वृतः । जिता भवानी च तदा शिवेन प्रहसन्निव

Transliteration

sa paṇaṃ ca tadā cakre chalena mahatā vṛtaḥ | jitā bhavānī ca tadā śivena prahasanniva

Translation

ثم عقدَ رهانًا مستورًا بحيلةٍ عظيمة؛ وفي ذلك الحين غُلِبَت بهافاني على يد شِيفا، كأنه يضحك ضحكًا لطيفًا.

Word by Word

• सः: he (Śiva)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• पणम्: a wager, stake
• पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

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

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• चक्रे: made, set (a wager)
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• छलेन: by deceit
• छलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे भेदः), तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/उपाय-भाव

• महता: great, considerable
• महता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘छलेन’)

• वृतः: covered, enveloped
• वृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘सः’: covered/encircled)

• जिता: defeated
• जिता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘भवानी’)

• भवानी: Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• भवानी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• शिवेन: by Śiva
• शिवेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृ-करण-भाव (agent in passive: ‘defeated by Śiva’)

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• प्रहसन्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-भाव (while laughing)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, smiling as if laughing, proposes a wager and wins; Pārvatī/Bhavānī appears momentarily surprised or mock-indignant; attendants react with amused astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhavānī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse underscores divine sovereignty within līlā—outcomes unfold under Śiva’s will, prompting reflection on humility and the limits of human control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The account is embedded in Kedārakhaṇḍa’s glorification of the Kedāra sacred sphere, though this verse itself is not a tīrtha-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.