Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

एवं विवदमानौ तौ दंपती परमेश्वरौ । नारदः प्रहसन्वाक्यमुवाच ऋषिसत्तमः

Transliteration

evaṃ vivadamānau tau daṃpatī parameśvarau | nāradaḥ prahasanvākyamuvāca ṛṣisattamaḥ

Translation

وبينما كان الزوجان الإلهيّان يتجادلان على هذا النحو، تكلّم نارادا—أفضل الحكماء—مبتسمًا بهذه الكلمات.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• vivadamānau: disputing
• vivadamānau: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi√vad (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘disputing’

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• daṃpatī: the couple (husband and wife)
• daṃpatī: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃpatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (द्विवचन-प्रयोग), प्रथमा, द्विवचन; दम्पती = पति-पत्नी (dual)

• parameśvarau: the supreme lords (two)
• parameśvarau: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘paramau īśvarau’)

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prahasan: laughing
• prahasan: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra√has (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘laughing’

• vākyam: a statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ṛṣi-sattamaḥ: the best of sages
• ṛṣi-sattamaḥ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi + sat-tama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-भावः (‘ṛṣiṣu sattamaḥ’ = best among sages)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva and Pārvatī in animated debate; Nārada enters smiling, vīṇā in hand, poised to speak; the scene freezes at the moment of impending counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sage Nārada functions as a dharmic catalyst—turning a quarrel into a teaching and praise of the Supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa framework is tied to Kedāra’s sanctity; this verse is transitional narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.