Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तैर्मुक्तस्तेन वाक्येन गतास्ते कितवादयः । तदा निशीथसमये गतोऽसौ शिवमंदिरम्

Transliteration

tairmuktastena vākyena gatāste kitavādayaḥ | tadā niśīthasamaye gato'sau śivamaṃdiram

Translation

Aufgrund dieser Worte ließen sie ihn frei, und die Spieler und die übrigen gingen fort. Dann, zur tiefsten Nachtstunde, begab er sich zum Tempel Śivas.

Word by Word

• taiḥ: by them
• taiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• muktaḥ: released, let go
• muktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta (कृदन्त; √muc मुच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; PPP

• tena: by that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• vākyena: by (those) words
• vākyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• gatāḥ: went
• gatāḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past active participle used predicatively)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• kitava-ādayaḥ: gamblers and others
• kitava-ādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kitava (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘कितवाः आदयः’ इति तत्पुरुष (ādi-samāsa: ‘and others’)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• niśītha-samaye: at midnight time
• niśītha-samaye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśītha (प्रातिपदिक) + samaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘निशीथस्य समयः’)

• gataḥ: went
• gataḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past active participle)

• asau: that man
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; दूरवाचक सर्वनाम

• śiva-mandiram: Śiva’s temple
• śiva-mandiram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘शिवस्य मन्दिरम्’)

Speaker

Lomaśa (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra kṣetra (Śiva-mandira)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone figure walks at midnight toward a Śiva shrine; moonlight, cold Himalayan air, the temple bell faintly visible, the liṅga sanctum suggested within.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Śiva
• Śiva-mandira (Śiva temple)
• Kedāra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A decisive turn toward Śiva’s temple—especially in a moment of darkness—signals the beginning of inner reversal and the opening of grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kedārakhaṇḍa, the Śiva-mandira of the Kedāra sacred region is the focal sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Temple-going (śiva-maṃdira-gamana) is implied as a spiritually consequential act; details of worship/service may follow in subsequent verses.