Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

के सत्याः के असत्याश्च संस्कृता विश्वकर्मणा । तथैव चैवं विधिना द्वारपाः अद्भुताः कृताः

Transliteration

ke satyāḥ ke asatyāśca saṃskṛtā viśvakarmaṇā | tathaiva caivaṃ vidhinā dvārapāḥ adbhutāḥ kṛtāḥ

Translation

Was wirklich war und was unwirklich—niemand konnte es unterscheiden, denn alles war von Viśvakarman kunstvoll geschaffen. Und auf dieselbe Weise, nach eben dieser Methode, wurden wunderbare Torhüter gemacht.

Word by Word

• के: which (ones)?
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — interrogative ‘which/who (pl.)?’

• सत्याः: real/true
• सत्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — adjective ‘real/true’

• के: which (ones)?
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘which (others)?’

• असत्याः: false
• असत्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — adjective ‘untrue/false’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — ‘and’

• संस्कृताः: made/constructed
• संस्कृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + कृ (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — PPP ‘prepared/constructed’

• विश्वकर्मणा: by Viśvakarman
• विश्वकर्मणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by Viśvakarman)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — ‘thus/likewise’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — ‘indeed’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — ‘and’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय — ‘thus/in this manner’

• विधिना: by a method/rule
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular ‘by method/rule’

• द्वारपाः: door-guards
• द्वारपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक) + प (पा/पाल) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘door-guards’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्वारस्य पाः)

• अद्भुताः: wonderful
• अद्भुताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — adjective qualifying ‘द्वारपाः’

• कृताः: were made
• कृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — PPP ‘made’ (predicate)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand sacred gateway where wondrous dvārapālas stand—so exquisitely fashioned that pilgrims cannot tell if they are living beings or crafted forms; the air feels charged with protection.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarman
• Dvārapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine craftsmanship can surpass human discernment, reminding pilgrims that the sacred is not limited by ordinary standards of reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakṣetra (Kedārakhaṇḍa) within the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a mahātmya-style portrayal of sacred marvels and guardianship.