Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

न दृष्टं मस्तकं तस्य व्यापकस्य महात्मनः । किं वक्ष्येऽहं च देवाग्रे चिंता मे चाति वर्तते

Transliteration

na dṛṣṭaṃ mastakaṃ tasya vyāpakasya mahātmanaḥ | kiṃ vakṣye'haṃ ca devāgre ciṃtā me cāti vartate

Translation

Ich sah das Haupt jenes allumfassenden großen Wesens nicht. Was soll ich vor den Göttern sagen? Große Sorge überkommt mich.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘दृष्टम्’ = seen

• mastakam: head, top
• mastakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mastaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• vyāpakasya: of the all-pervading one
• vyāpakasya: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyāpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘mahātmanaḥ’)

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled one
• mahātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + आत्मा (कर्मधारय)

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object of ‘vakṣye’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• vakṣye: shall I say
• vakṣye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• devāgre: in the presence of the gods
• devāgre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—देवानाम् अग्रे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• cintā: anxiety, worry
• cintā: Karta (Subject of ‘vartate’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• me: my, to me
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप (enclitic)

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

• ati: excessively, greatly
• ati: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ati (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अत्यर्थक-अव्यय (intensifier ‘excessively’)

• vartate: exists, continues, prevails
• vartate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Brahmā (implied by narrative continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (rishi/saunaka-style frame typical of Purāṇas; specific interlocutors not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, returning from an upward search, stands troubled before a radiant, endless liṅga; gods assembled in a celestial court; his face shows fear and shame.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Liṅga (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Infinite cannot be grasped by effort alone; spiritual humility is essential when confronting divine transcendence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra’s sanctity is framed through the immeasurable Liṅga narrative, reinforcing the site’s Shaiva greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights inner struggle regarding truth and accountability.