Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

घटितकात्रितयं यावत्तावत्कालं ददौ प्रभुः । घटिकात्रितयादूध्व पूर्वस्वामी समागतः

Transliteration

ghaṭitakātritayaṃ yāvattāvatkālaṃ dadau prabhuḥ | ghaṭikātritayādūdhva pūrvasvāmī samāgataḥ

Translation

Der Herr gewährte jene Spanne — drei Ghaṭikās (ein kurzes Zeitmaß). Nachdem die drei Ghaṭikās verstrichen waren, traf der frühere Herr ein.

Word by Word

• घटितकात्रितयम्: a set of three (units) of fixed time
• घटितकात्रितयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घटित (कृदन्त, √घट्) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—(घटितकाल)षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः + त्रितय (समाहारार्थ)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धाव्यय (correlative: as long as)

• तावत्: so long; that much
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रत्यवस्थापनार्थ (correlative: so long/that much)

• कालम्: time (duration)
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रभुः: the lord/master
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• घटिकात्रितयात्: from (the span of) three ghaṭikās
• घटिकात्रितयात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घटिका (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—घटिकानां त्रितयम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ऊर्ध्व: afterwards
• ऊर्ध्व: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/देशवाचक (afterwards/above)

• पूर्वस्वामी: the former master
• पूर्वस्वामी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—पूर्वः स्वामी (former master)

• समागतः: arrived
• समागतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण-प्रधान)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (having come/arrived)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine figure grants a brief, precisely measured interval (three ghaṭikās); the atmosphere holds suspense as the former master arrives exactly when the allotted time ends.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhu (Lord/master figure)
• Pūrva-svāmī (former master)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even extraordinary events unfold within a divinely ordered timing; dharma operates with precision and consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra region), though this verse focuses on a timed narrative turn rather than a site-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse uses a traditional time-measure (ghaṭikā) to mark the narrative.