Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यमेन स्तूयमानो हि उवाच प्रभुरीश्वरः । किमर्थमागतोऽसि त्वं तत्सर्वं कथयस्व नः

Transliteration

yamena stūyamāno hi uvāca prabhurīśvaraḥ | kimarthamāgato'si tvaṃ tatsarvaṃ kathayasva naḥ

Translation

So von Yama gepriesen, sprach der Herr Īśvara: „Zu welchem Zweck bist du gekommen? Sage Mir alles.“

Word by Word

• यमेन: by Yama
• यमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• स्तूयमानः: being praised
• स्तूयमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (शानच्/मान), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Present passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ईश्वरः: the ruler, God
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular (प्रभुः इत्यस्य विशेषण/समनाधिकरण)

• किमर्थम्: for what reason
• किमर्थम्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रश्नाव्यय — interrogative adverb ‘for what purpose?’

• आगतः: come
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त (भूतकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 2nd person, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Pronoun, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (सर्वम् इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कथयस्व: tell
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन-रूप (एन्क्लिटिक) — ‘of us/to us’ (contextually dative)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a Himalayan sacred court, Yama stands in reverence, having praised Īśvara; Śiva, serene and authoritative, asks the purpose of Yama’s arrival, initiating a formal divine dialogue.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord responds to sincere praise with direct engagement—devotion opens dialogue and guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative sits in Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Śaiva context; no specific tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it transitions from hymn to divine conversation.