Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 171

Devanagari script

ददृशाते महात्मानं श्रीहरिं बटुरूपिणम् । त्वरितौ पुनरायातौ बलेः शंसयितुं तदा

Transliteration

dadṛśāte mahātmānaṃ śrīhariṃ baṭurūpiṇam | tvaritau punarāyātau baleḥ śaṃsayituṃ tadā

Translation

Sie erblickten den großherzigen Śrī Hari in der Gestalt eines jungen Brahmacārin; darauf eilten sie zurück, um es Bali zu melden.

Word by Word

• ददृशाते: (they) two saw
• ददृशाते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual), परस्मैपद; ‘they two saw’

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रीहरिम्: Śrī Hari
• श्रीहरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीहरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• बटुरूपिणम्: in the form of a boy (brahmacārin)
• बटुरूपिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बटु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—बटुरूपिणम् = बटुरूपः यस्य/बटुरूपेण (in the form of a boy)

• त्वरितौ: hastened, quick
• त्वरितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन; (qualifying the two)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• आयातौ: returned, came back
• आयातौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + या (धातु) → आयात (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘having come/returned’

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• शंसयितुम्: to report/announce
• शंसयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (Infinitive), ‘to inform/praise/announce’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, Mahēśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (typical Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two attendants behold Śrī Hari disguised as a youthful brahmacārin, radiant yet simple, and rush back to inform Bali; the setting suggests a Himalayan hermitage-court threshold.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Hari
• Vāmana (baṭu-rūpa)
• Śaṇḍa
• Marka
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine may arrive in humble form; recognizing and honoring such a visitor becomes a profound test of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sanctity is reinforced by the presence of Hari’s līlā within the Kedārakhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the narrative sets up the proper reception of a brahmacārin guest.