Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

नारदोऽस्याः शिवेनाथ उपहासकरोऽभवत् । निशम्य हारितं द्यूतमुपहासं निशम्य च

Transliteration

nārado'syāḥ śivenātha upahāsakaro'bhavat | niśamya hāritaṃ dyūtamupahāsaṃ niśamya ca

Translation

يا ربّ، صار نارَدَ سببًا للمزاح عليها (بارفتي). فلما سمع خبر لعبة النَّرْد وما فُقِد فيها، سمع أيضًا ضحكَ السخرية والاستهزاء.

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• शिवेन: with Śiva
• शिवेन: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सह/संबन्ध-निर्देश (with Śiva / in relation to Śiva)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• उपहास-करः: a mocker, one who makes fun
• उपहास-करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपहास (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपहासं करोति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + शम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having heard)

• हारितम्: (the) taken away/cheated (stake)
• हारितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु) + णिच् + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरण-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘द्यूतम्’: caused to be taken away/robbed)

• द्यूतम्: gambling, dice-play
• द्यूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• उपहासम्: mockery
• उपहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + शम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पुनरुक्त-प्रयोग (again: having heard)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada hears of the dice-loss and the laughter; he becomes an instrument of teasing toward Pārvatī, while the atmosphere shifts from playful to sharp-edged.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine play (līlā) becomes a vehicle to reveal deeper truths; impulsive mockery and gossip disturb harmony and lead to consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kedārakhaṇḍa, oriented to Kedāra/Kedārnātha sacred geography, though this verse itself is a narrative transition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up the narrative around the dice-game and its moral consequences.