Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वयैव कर्तव्यमाह्वानं परमेष्ठिना । त्वरितं चैव शक्रेण विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना

Transliteration

tasmāttvayaiva kartavyamāhvānaṃ parameṣṭhinā | tvaritaṃ caiva śakreṇa viṣṇunā prabhaviṣṇunā

Translation

Darum sollst du selbst, o Parameṣṭhin, die heilige Anrufung vollziehen; und zwar eilends, zusammen mit Śakra und mit Viṣṇu, dem machtvollen Herrn.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/सम्बन्धसूचक), अपादानार्थे ‘तस्मात्’ = ‘अतः/तस्माद् हेतोः’ (from that/therefore)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीयपुरुष-प्रयोग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; लिङ्ग-निर्देशः अप्रासंगिक (instrumental ‘by you’)

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), अवधारणार्थक (emphatic/only)

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् ‘कर्तव्यम्’ = ‘to be done/should be done’

• आह्वानम्: invocation; summoning
• आह्वानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आह्वान (प्रातिपदिक; √ह्वा with उपसर्ग आ + घञ्/भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण (object of ‘to be done’)

• परमेष्ठिना: by Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; कर्तृ-करणभावे ‘by Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)’

• त्वरितम्: quickly
• त्वरितम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √त्वर् + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् ‘quickly’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक-संयोजक)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), अवधारणार्थक

• शक्रेण: by Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by Śakra (Indra)’

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by Viṣṇu’

• प्रभविष्णुना: by the mighty/powerful one
• प्रभविष्णुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक; प्र + भविष्णु)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (प्रभविष्णुः = अत्यन्तं भविष्णुः/समर्थः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विष्णोः)

Speaker

Dadhīci

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine council urges Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin) to perform a swift invocation, with Indra (Śakra) and Viṣṇu standing ready—an atmosphere of urgent sacred mobilization toward Kedāra.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Śakra (Indra)
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership in dharma means correcting omissions—one must actively invite the Divine to make the sacred work complete.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Still within the Kanakhala tīrtha episode, emphasizing proper divine honoring at a pilgrimage-sacrifice setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āhvāna (formal invocation/invitation) is prescribed, to be done promptly with the support of Indra and Viṣṇu.