Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

मया सह भवद्भिश्च कथं सख्यं प्रवर्तते । सर्वथात्र न विज्ञेयाः के यूयं चैव क ह्यहम्

Transliteration

mayā saha bhavadbhiśca kathaṃ sakhyaṃ pravartate | sarvathātra na vijñeyāḥ ke yūyaṃ caiva ka hyaham

Translation

„Wie könnte zwischen euch allen und mir wahre Freundschaft entstehen? Denn hier ist auf keinerlei Weise bekannt, wer ihr seid und wer ich in Wahrheit bin.“

Word by Word

• mayā: with me / by me
• mayā: Saha/Instrument (Association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sambandha (Association marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपसर्गवत्/निपात ("with")

• bhavadbhiḥ: with you (hon.)
• bhavadbhiḥ: Saha/Instrument (Association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• katham: how?
• katham: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• sakhyam: friendship
• sakhyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• pravartate: arises, proceeds
• pravartate: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• sarvathā: in every way
• sarvathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीत्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषण ("in every way")

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• vijñeyāḥ: are to be known
• vijñeyāḥ: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi√jñā (धातु) + ya (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; "विज्ञेयाः" = to be known/ascertained

• ke: who (pl.)
• ke: Karta (Subject/Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• yūyam: you (pl.)
• yūyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• kaḥ: who (sg.)
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात ("indeed/for")

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poised, enigmatic speaker (Mohinī/disguised divinity) questions the possibility of friendship due to unknown identities, creating suspense in an asura court.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True relationship and trust rest on discernment—without clarity about one’s own nature and the other’s, friendship cannot be firmly established.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Kedārakhaṇḍa, which celebrates Kedāra (Kedārnāth) and its sacred Shaiva landscape, though this particular line is a reflective dialogue rather than direct site-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this shloka; it focuses on inquiry into identity within the broader Kedāra-māhātmya narrative.