Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा सुराश्च ऋषयस्तस्य वाक्यमपूजयन् । तदा विष्णुरुवाचेदं ब्रह्माणं प्रहसन्निव

Transliteration

śrutvā surāśca ṛṣayastasya vākyamapūjayan | tadā viṣṇuruvācedaṃ brahmāṇaṃ prahasanniva

Translation

فلما سمع الآلهةُ والريشيون تلك الكلمات أكرموها بالتبجيل. ثم تكلّم فيشنو إلى براهما، كأنما بابتسامة لطيفة عارفة.

Word by Word

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (Gerundial/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वा), पूर्वकाल (absolutive): ‘having heard’

• surāḥ: gods
• surāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• tasya: his
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vākyam: speech, statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• apūjayan: they honoured, worshipped
• apūjayan: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a + pūj (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘they worshipped/honoured’

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• brahmāṇam: to Brahmā
• brahmāṇam: Sampradana (Addressee/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prahasan: laughing
• prahasan: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + has (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘laughing’

• iva: as if
• iva: Upama (Simile-marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (comparative particle)

Speaker

Sūta (narration), with Viṣṇu about to address Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial council: sages with matted locks and deer-skins, devas in jeweled crowns; all offer reverence. Viṣṇu turns to Brahmā with a gentle smile, about to speak—poised, knowing, calm.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Ṛṣis
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True words deserve honor, and spiritual narratives often test integrity—truth must stand up to inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra context remains in the background; this verse advances the central liṅga-mahātmya episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets up a moral-theological dialogue about proof and truth.