Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 187

Devanagari script

सद्यः पराङ्मुखौ भूत्वा शंकरस्य च पश्यतः । भवावस्त्वनुकंप्यौ च भवता हि त्रिलोचन

Transliteration

sadyaḥ parāṅmukhau bhūtvā śaṃkarasya ca paśyataḥ | bhavāvastvanukaṃpyau ca bhavatā hi trilocana

Translation

Sogleich wandten sie das Gesicht ab, während Śaṅkara zusah. Da sprach die Göttin: „O Trilocana, wahrlich, sie beide verdienen Dein Erbarmen.“

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पराङ्मुखौ: turned away, facing away
• पराङ्मुखौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; adjective/predicate of implied subject (they two)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having become’

• शंकरस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शंकरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• च: and
• च: Samucchaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पश्यतः: while (he) was seeing; in the sight (of)
• पश्यतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमा? actually ‘पश्यतः’ = मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person) द्विवचन परस्मैपद (you two see) OR षष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन of present participle ‘पश्यत्’ (of the seeing). Context with शंकरस्य suggests ‘while Śaṅkara was looking’: treat as कृदन्त-रूप (पश्यत्-प्रातिपदिक) षष्ठी एकवचन? but form mismatches. Best: Subanta from ‘पश्यत्’ (present participle) षष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन = ‘of/while (two) seeing’. Here intended: ‘in the sight of Śaṅkara’ → ‘पश्यतः’ as षष्ठी एकवचन of ‘पश्यत्’ is ‘पश्यतः’.

• भवौ: you two, O Bhava (dual)
• भवौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; vocative-like address? Here as subject/predicate ‘you two (Bhava and …)’; taken as Nominative dual

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive use); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनुकम्प्यौ: worthy of compassion
• अनुकम्प्यौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुकम्प्य (प्रातिपदिक; from अनु+कम्प् धातु, यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्य-अर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘to be shown compassion’

• च: and
• च: Samucchaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• भवता: by you (sir)
• भवता: Karana/Agent-in-instrumental (कर्ता-करणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; honorific 2nd person stem ‘भवत्’

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• त्रिलोचन: O three-eyed one
• त्रिलोचन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिलोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; address to Śiva

Speaker

Pārvatī (Devī) addressing Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two devotees abruptly avert their faces in bashful fear as Śaṅkara looks on; Devī, compassionate and commanding, addresses Trilocana to show mercy.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Trilocana (Śiva)
• Devī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion is integral to dharma; the Lord’s grace responds to humility and change of heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, where divine compassion and forgiveness are dramatized in sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights an ethical-spiritual principle: anukampā (mercy).