Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

केदारं समुपायातो युक्तस्तैर्द्विजसत्तमैः । आकाशेन सुशक्यश्च बिलेनाथ स देशकः

Transliteration

kedāraṃ samupāyāto yuktastairdvijasattamaiḥ | ākāśena suśakyaśca bilenātha sa deśakaḥ

Translation

Er gelangte nach Kedāra, begleitet von jenen erlesensten der Zweimalgeborenen (Brahmanen). Diese Gegend ist durch die Lüfte erreichbar und—so heißt es—auch durch einen Höhlengang.

Word by Word

• केदारम्: Kedāra (place)
• केदारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म); एकवचन

• समुपायातः: arrived, came near
• समुपायातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/परिपूर्णभूत (perfect/past); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; कर्तरि प्रयोग

• युक्तः: accompanied, joined
• युक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (समुपायातः/सः इत्यस्य)

• तैः: by/with those
• तैः: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह); बहुवचन

• द्विजसत्तमैः: with the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमैः: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

• आकाशेन: through the sky
• आकाशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; करणत्वे

• सुशक्यः: very feasible, easily possible
• सुशक्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक् (धातु) → शक्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + सु (उपसर्ग/उपपद)
• Form: कृदन्त (ण्यत्/शक्य); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (देशकः इत्यस्य)

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

• बिलेन: by a cave/tunnel
• बिलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; करणत्वे

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

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• देशकः: guide; one who knows the place
• देशकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna (context continues in subsequent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan panorama: Kedāra’s stone shrine amid snow-peaks; a group of austere brāhmaṇas and a heroic pilgrim arriving; above, a suggested ‘sky-route’ (ākāśa-mārga) and, to the side, a dark cave-mouth hinting at a hidden passage.

Characters & Entities

• Kedāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are approached through divine enablement and the company of the righteous, not merely by ordinary means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra), a preeminent Śaiva tīrtha in Himalayan sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse highlights modes of access (sky/cave) to the sacred region.