Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वर्त्तमाने च यज्ञे च ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । ददर्श चरणौ देव्या नखेंदुं च मनोहरम्

Transliteration

varttamāne ca yajñe ca brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | dadarśa caraṇau devyā nakheṃduṃ ca manoharam

Translation

Während das Opfer im Gange war, erblickte Brahmā, der Ahnvater der Welten, die Füße der Göttin und den lieblichen, mondgleichen Schimmer ihrer Nägel.

Word by Word

• वर्तमाने: while (it was) going on
• वर्तमाने: Adhikaraṇa (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपद-भाव), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यज्ञे: in the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लोकपितामहः: grandfather of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Apposition (समास-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य पितामहः)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चरणौ: the two feet
• चरणौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• देव्याः: of the goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• नखेन्दुम्: the moon-like (crescent) on the nail / nail-moon
• नखेन्दुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नखस्य इन्दुः)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मनोहरम्: charming/beautiful
• मनोहरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (नखेन्दुम् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience of the Purāṇic dialogue (not named in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing yajña-kuṇḍa with priests chanting; Brahmā, four-faced, pauses mid-ritual as his gaze falls upon the Devī’s feet; her nails gleam like crescent moons.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devī (the Goddess)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted deities are moved by divine beauty; Purāṇas use such moments to show how desire can arise and must be mastered.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is narrative, but it is embedded in Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra-region Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yajña (sacrifice) is the setting, but no new prescription is given in this verse.