Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अथाकर्ण्येश्वरो वाक्यं नंदिनः प्रहसन्निव । उवाच वाक्यं मधुरं बोधययुक्तं सदाशिवः

Transliteration

athākarṇyeśvaro vākyaṃ naṃdinaḥ prahasanniva | uvāca vākyaṃ madhuraṃ bodhayayuktaṃ sadāśivaḥ

Translation

Da nun der Herr Nandins Worte vernahm, lächelte er gleichsam; Sadāśiva sprach süße Rede, erfüllt von Belehrung und Klarheit.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/सम्बन्धसूचक (then/now)

• ākarṇya: having heard
• ākarṇya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + karṇ (धातु) + ya (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• īśvaraḥ: the Lord
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vākyaṃ: the statement
• vākyaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• naṃdinaḥ: of Nandin
• naṃdinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• prahasan: smiling/laughing
• prahasan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + has (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (īśvaraḥ)

• iva: as if
• iva: Upamā (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-सूचक (particle of comparison)

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

• vākyaṃ: words
• vākyaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• madhuraṃ: sweet
• madhuraṃ: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (vākyaṃ)

• bodhayayuktaṃ: endowed with instruction/edifying
• bodhayayuktaṃ: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bodhaya + yukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (vākyaṃ); (समास: बोधयया/बोधया युक्तम्—‘instruction/awakening’ + ‘endowed’)

• sadāśivaḥ: Sadāśiva
• sadāśivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadāśiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (समास: सदा + शिवः)

Speaker

Narrator (within Lomāśa’s narration; the verse introduces Śiva’s reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sadāśiva hears Nandin’s words and, almost smiling, responds with gentle, lucid instruction—an image of calm authority dissolving tension.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Nandin
• Sadāśiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True divine guidance is sweet, compassionate, and instructive—even when correcting anger or error.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra remains the broader frame; this verse highlights Śiva’s teaching demeanor rather than the geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it sets the scene for Śiva’s counsel.