Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 148

Devanagari script

संप्रधार्य ततः सर्वे मिलित्वा धर्मशास्त्रतः । ऊचुः सर्वे तदा विप्रा नंदिनं चातिशंकिनम्

Transliteration

saṃpradhārya tataḥ sarve militvā dharmaśāstrataḥ | ūcuḥ sarve tadā viprā naṃdinaṃ cātiśaṃkinam

Translation

Daraufhin berieten sie alle gemeinsam gemäß den Dharmaśāstras, und die Brahmanen sprachen zu Nandī, der von großer Sorge erfüllt war.

Word by Word

• संप्रधार्य: having deliberated
• संप्रधार्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र√धृ (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), अर्थः ‘सम्यक् विचार्य’ (having deliberated)

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon/then)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject; with ūcuḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• मिलित्वा: having gathered
• मिलित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मिल् (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), अर्थः ‘समागत्य’ (having assembled)

• धर्मशास्त्रतः: according to the dharmaśāstra
• धर्मशास्त्रतः: Hetu/Pramāṇa (Ground/Authority)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धर्म-शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘धर्मशास्त्रात्/धर्मशास्त्रतः’ (according to dharmaśāstra)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—विप्राः

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• विप्राः: brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• नन्दिनम्: to Nandin
• नन्दिनम्: Karma (Object; addressed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• अतिशङ्किनम्: very apprehensive
• अतिशङ्किनम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-शङ्किन् (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्गपूर्वक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—नन्दिनम् (very anxious/suspicious)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council-like assembly: brāhmaṇas confer with manuscripts, counting points on fingers; Nandī sits or stands nearby, visibly anxious, awaiting verdict.

Characters & Entities

• Viprāḥ
• Nandī
• Dharmaśāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through collective, scripture-aligned deliberation rather than impulsive action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, where sacred custom is framed by Dharmaśāstra and devotion to Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Deliberation ‘dharmaśāstrataḥ’—acting only after aligning decisions with dharmic injunctions.