Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अप्राप्तकामा संप्राप्ता किमेतत्संशयो मम । रहसीति विचिंत्याथ अभिज्ञानाद्विचारयन्

Transliteration

aprāptakāmā saṃprāptā kimetatsaṃśayo mama | rahasīti viciṃtyātha abhijñānādvicārayan

Translation

«Sie, die ihr Begehren nicht erlangt hatte, ist nun gekommen — warum also zweifle ich?» In dem Gedanken: «Dies ist eine geheime Sache», begann er die Lage anhand von Wiedererkennen und Zeichen zu prüfen.

Word by Word

• aprāpta-kāmā: whose desire was unfulfilled
• aprāpta-kāmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + prāpta (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (अप्राप्तः कामः यस्याः सा)

• saṃprāptā: having come/arrived
• saṃprāptā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• rahasi: secretly/in private
• rahasi: Kriya-viseshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: rahasi (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; रहस्ये/एकान्ते (adverb: secretly/in private)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• viciṃtya: having reflected
• viciṃtya: Kriya-viseshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-cint (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भ (then/thereupon)

• abhijñānāt: from recognition/knowledge
• abhijñānāt: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhijñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• vicārayan: considering/examining
• vicārayan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-car (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta) describing Śiva’s reasoning (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara thinks: ‘She who had not attained her desire has now come—why do I doubt?’ Then, deciding it is secret, he examines through recognition and signs; depict a contemplative pause, with subtle symbolic ‘signs’ (shadow, aura, reflection) hinting at disguise.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Abhijñāna (recognition marks)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected by careful inquiry; truth is confirmed by reliable signs, not assumptions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.