Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

पूजनीयो महादेवः प्राणिभिस्तत्त्ववेदिभिः । तस्मादिंद्रत्वमगमत्कितवो घटिकात्रयम्

Transliteration

pūjanīyo mahādevaḥ prāṇibhistattvavedibhiḥ | tasmādiṃdratvamagamatkitavo ghaṭikātrayam

Translation

Mahādeva ist von den Lebewesen zu verehren, die die Wahrheit erkennen. Darum erlangte Kitava den Stand Indras—doch nur für drei ghaṭikās (eine kurze Spanne).

Word by Word

• पूजनीयः: worthy of worship
• पूजनीयः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् (धातु) + अनीय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त (to be worshipped)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-देव (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: महा + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विषयः (Mahādeva)

• प्राणिभिः: by living beings
• प्राणिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृ-समूहः (by living beings)

• तत्त्ववेदिभिः: by truth-knowing (beings)
• तत्त्ववेदिभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्व-वेदी (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: तत्त्व + वेदिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘प्राणिभिः’ इति विशेषणम्—‘तत्त्वं वेदन्ति ये’ (by those who know the truth)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-शब्दः हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• इन्द्रत्वम्: the status of Indra
• इन्द्रत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रत्व (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (Indra-hood)

• अगमत्: attained
• अगमत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘अगमत्’ (went/attained)

• कितवः: Kitava (the gambler/cheat)
• कितवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कितव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता (the gambler/cheat—proper epithet)

• घटिकात्रयम्: (for) three ghaṭikās
• घटिकात्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घटिका-त्रय (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: घटिका + त्रय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; काल-परिमाणम् (a duration of three ghaṭikās)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kitava crowned as Indra, radiant but with a faint hourglass/time motif; in the background, a Śiva-liṅga signifies the enduring refuge beyond fleeting sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Kitava
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly rank (even Indrahood) is temporary, while true dharma is worship of Mahādeva rooted in tattva-jñāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Śaiva milieu, where Mahādeva’s worship is presented as the highest path.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is pūjā of Mahādeva by tattva-vedins (those aligned with truth).