Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । अस्य मूलं त्वया विष्णो पद्मोद्भव च मस्तकम् । युवाभ्यां च विलोक्यं स्यात्स्थाने स्यात्परिपालकौ

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | asya mūlaṃ tvayā viṣṇo padmodbhava ca mastakam | yuvābhyāṃ ca vilokyaṃ syātsthāne syātparipālakau

Translation

Die Götter sprachen: „O Viṣṇu, suche seine Wurzel; und du, o Lotosgeborener (Brahmā), seinen Gipfel. Von euch beiden soll es geprüft werden; bleibt an euren jeweiligen Stätten als Hüter.“

Word by Word

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (pronoun), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मूलम्: root/base
• मूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as object to be sought/seen

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (pronoun), तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• पद्म-उद्भव: O Lotus-born (Brahmā)
• पद्म-उद्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः नाम (epithet of Brahmā)

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

• मस्तकम्: top/head
• मस्तकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as object to be sought/seen

• युवाभ्याम्: by you two
• युवाभ्याम्: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विवचन-प्रयोगः; तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन (dual)

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

• विलोक्यम्: to be looked at/seen
• विलोक्यम्: Karma (Predicate to be accomplished/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be seen)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• स्थाने: in (your) place/position
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• परिपालकौ: the two guardians/protectors
• परिपालकौ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + पालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (as predicate nominative for the two)

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods formally assign tasks: Viṣṇu to seek the base, Brahmā to seek the summit; both stand poised for ascent/descent while others remain as guardians around the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual authority is tested: even Brahmā and Viṣṇu must seek, and the Infinite remains beyond grasp—teaching humility and truthfulness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s liṅga revelation, supporting Kedāra’s fame as a place where Śiva’s supremacy is shown.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it assigns a divine task (seeking root and summit) within the narrative.