Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

दृष्टं हि चेत्त्वया ब्रह्मन्मस्तकं परमार्थतः । साक्षिणः के त्वया तत्र अस्मिन्नर्थे प्रकल्पिताः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭaṃ hi cettvayā brahmanmastakaṃ paramārthataḥ | sākṣiṇaḥ ke tvayā tatra asminnarthe prakalpitāḥ

Translation

যদি সত্যই, হে ব্রহ্মন্, তুমি পরমার্থতঃ সেই শিখর দর্শন করে থাকো, তবে এই দাবির জন্য সেখানে তুমি কাদের সাক্ষী নিযুক্ত করেছিলে?

Word by Word

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘seen’ (past passive participle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ ‘indeed/for’

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional) ‘if’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया? (न), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग-सामान्य; ‘by you’

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmā
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/सम्बोधन) एकवचन; vocative ‘O Brahman/Brahmā’

• मस्तकम्: head
• मस्तकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन; object of ‘seen’

• परमार्थतः: truly
• परमार्थतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परमार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘in truth/really’

• साक्षिणः: witnesses
• साक्षिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचन; ‘witnesses’

• के: who (which persons)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; interrogative ‘who?’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचन; ‘by you’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb) ‘there’

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचन; ‘in this’

• अर्थे: matter
• अर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचन; ‘in the matter’

• प्रकल्पिताः: appointed
• प्रकल्पिताः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कल्प् (धातु) → प्रकल्पित (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘appointed/arranged’ (PPP)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīkedāra (Kedāra-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu confronts Brahmā in a divine assembly, demanding witnesses for Brahmā’s claim of having seen the ‘mastaka’ (summit/crown) of the cosmic manifestation; gods watch tensely.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Witnesses (sākṣi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values truth verified by integrity; spiritual pride is checked through accountability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kedārakhaṇḍa’s liṅga-mahātmya narrative rather than a direct praise of a single tīrtha spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns ethical inquiry and the dharmic principle of truthful testimony.