Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

दृष्टं हि चेत्त्वया ब्रह्मन्मस्तकं परमार्थतः । साक्षिणः के त्वया तत्र अस्मिन्नर्थे प्रकल्पिताः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭaṃ hi cettvayā brahmanmastakaṃ paramārthataḥ | sākṣiṇaḥ ke tvayā tatra asminnarthe prakalpitāḥ

Translation

„Wenn du den Gipfel wahrhaftig in seinem höchsten Sinn gesehen hast, o Brahmā, wen hast du dort als Zeugen für diese Behauptung eingesetzt?“

Word by Word

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘seen’ (past passive participle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ ‘indeed/for’

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional) ‘if’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया? (न), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग-सामान्य; ‘by you’

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmā
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/सम्बोधन) एकवचन; vocative ‘O Brahman/Brahmā’

• मस्तकम्: head
• मस्तकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन; object of ‘seen’

• परमार्थतः: truly
• परमार्थतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परमार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘in truth/really’

• साक्षिणः: witnesses
• साक्षिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचन; ‘witnesses’

• के: who (which persons)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; interrogative ‘who?’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचन; ‘by you’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb) ‘there’

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचन; ‘in this’

• अर्थे: matter
• अर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचन; ‘in the matter’

• प्रकल्पिताः: appointed
• प्रकल्पिताः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कल्प् (धातु) → प्रकल्पित (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘appointed/arranged’ (PPP)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīkedāra (Kedāra-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu confronts Brahmā in a divine assembly, demanding witnesses for Brahmā’s claim of having seen the ‘mastaka’ (summit/crown) of the cosmic manifestation; gods watch tensely.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Witnesses (sākṣi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values truth verified by integrity; spiritual pride is checked through accountability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kedārakhaṇḍa’s liṅga-mahātmya narrative rather than a direct praise of a single tīrtha spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns ethical inquiry and the dharmic principle of truthful testimony.