Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

किमायामं च विस्तारं क्व चांतः क्व च पीठिका । इति चिंतान्विता विष्णुमूचुः सर्वे सुरास्तदा

Transliteration

kimāyāmaṃ ca vistāraṃ kva cāṃtaḥ kva ca pīṭhikā | iti ciṃtānvitā viṣṇumūcuḥ sarve surāstadā

Translation

„Wie groß ist seine Länge und Breite? Wo ist sein Ende, und wo seine Basis?“ — so, von Sorge erfüllt, sprachen damals alle Götter zu Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• आयामम्: length
• आयामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विस्तारम्: breadth/extent
• विस्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्व: where
• क्व: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: देशप्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where)

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

• अन्तः: the inside/interior
• अन्तः: Karma (Interrogative content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर्/अन्तः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘inside/interior’ (here as interrogated entity)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: देशप्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय

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

• पीठिका: base/pedestal
• पीठिका: Karma (Interrogative content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन (or interrogated nominative)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय

• चिन्ता-अन्विताः: filled with concern/thought
• चिन्ता-अन्विताः: Karta (Adjectival to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (अनु + इ धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘sarve surāḥ’)—‘चिन्तया अन्विताः’ (endowed with thought/anxiety)

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ऊचुः: said/spoke
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Adjectival to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘surāḥ’)

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gods gaze up and down the endless pillar, shading their eyes; anxiety and wonder mix as they ask Viṣṇu about its dimensions, end, and base.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine mind cannot measure the Infinite; humility and inquiry arise before Śiva’s boundlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape frames this revelation of the immeasurable liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative inquiry leading to a quest motif.