Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पृच्छामि शंकरं चाद्य कारणं कृतनिश्चया । स्थापयित्वा सखीस्तत्र आगता शंकरं प्रति

Transliteration

pṛcchāmi śaṃkaraṃ cādya kāraṇaṃ kṛtaniścayā | sthāpayitvā sakhīstatra āgatā śaṃkaraṃ prati

Translation

Fest entschlossen sprach sie: „Heute will ich Śaṅkara nach dem Grund fragen.“ Dann ließ sie ihre Gefährtinnen dort zurück und ging auf Śaṅkara zu.

Word by Word

• पृच्छामि: I ask
• पृच्छामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कारणम्: the reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• कृतनिश्चया: having resolved/decided
• कृतनिश्चया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (√कृ, क्त) + निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘कृत’ + ‘निश्चय’ (कृतः निश्चयः यस्या: ‘having made a decision’)

• स्थापयित्वा: having stationed/placed
• स्थापयित्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) [णिच्: स्थापय-]
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); causative (णिच्) रूप ‘स्थापय-’; अर्थ: ‘स्थापयित्वा’

• सखीः: female friends
• सखीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• आगता: (she) came/arrived
• आगता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त (past active participle in sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: आ-

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Gati/Direction (दिशा/गति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; गत्यर्थे ‘towards’ (preposition-like)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-oriented audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Satī, having left her companions, walks with determined grace toward Śaṅkara to ask the reason; the moment is transitional—movement from private doubt to public dialogue.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Vijayā Devī
• Sakhīs (companions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In doubt and upheaval, one should seek the highest refuge and clarification from the Lord—steadfast inquiry is a form of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa context relates to Kedāra’s sacred landscape; this verse itself is a narrative transition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes approaching Śiva for counsel.