Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

एतत्सर्वं समासेन कथयामि निबोध मे । एको ह्यनेकधा चैव दृश्यते भेदभावनः

Transliteration

etatsarvaṃ samāsena kathayāmi nibodha me | eko hyanekadhā caiva dṛśyate bhedabhāvanaḥ

Translation

All dies werde ich dir kurz darlegen—erkenne meine Worte. Das Eine allein erscheint als Vieles, aufgrund der Einbildung von Verschiedenheit.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समासेन: briefly/in summary
• समासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथयामि: I tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; √कथ् causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निबोध: understand
• निबोध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग ‘नि-’

• मे: from me/to me (my)
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• एकः: one
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अनेकधा: in many ways
• अनेकधा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: only/just
• एव: Avadharana (Restriction/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

• भेदभावनः: producing the notion of difference
• भेदभावनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भेद (प्रातिपदिक) + भावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भेदस्य भावनः = causing/producing differentiation)

Speaker

Śaṃkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva explains ‘One appearing as many’; visual metaphor: a single sun reflected in many water pots; or one crystal taking many colors—set against Kedāra peaks.

Characters & Entities

• The One (Eka)
• Bheda-bhāvana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Multiplicity is an appearance born of imagined difference; reality is fundamentally One.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse is situated in Kedārakhaṇḍa, but the verse teaches metaphysics rather than praising a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it introduces a teaching meant for contemplation and realization.