Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

एवं बहुविधं श्रुत्वा नारदो मौनमाश्रयत् । पस्थितं च तद्दृष्ट्वा भृंगी वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्

Transliteration

evaṃ bahuvidhaṃ śrutvā nārado maunamāśrayat | pasthitaṃ ca taddṛṣṭvā bhṛṃgī vākyamathābravīt

Translation

Nachdem er sie auf vielerlei Weise hatte sprechen hören, suchte Nārada das Schweigen. Als er sah, dass jener im Begriff war fortzugehen, sprach Bhṛṅgī diese Worte.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• बहु-विधम्: many kinds (of things)
• बहु-विधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (many + kinds); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषण

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मौनम्: silence
• मौनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आश्रयत्: resorted to/assumed
• आश्रयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पस्थितम्: (him) having set out / departed
• पस्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → प्रस्थित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पाठे 'पस्थितं' = 'प्रस्थितं' लेखनदोष सम्भव)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• तत्: him/that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तं/तद्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• भृङ्गी: Bhṛṅgī
• भृङ्गी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (नाम), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, after hearing Pārvatī’s many statements, lowers his gaze and becomes silent; he turns as if to depart. Bhṛṅgī, noticing, steps forward to speak—creating a dramatic pause.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Bhṛṅgī
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Silence can be a dharmic response to conflict; true devotion then steps forward to protect right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred landscape frames the chapter, though no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; mauna appears as a practical spiritual discipline in the dialogue.