Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 148

Devanagari script

क्व रुद्रो दृश्यते बाले विरक्तो नात्र संशयः । त्वं तन्वी तरुणी बाला तपसा च विमोहिता

Transliteration

kva rudro dṛśyate bāle virakto nātra saṃśayaḥ | tvaṃ tanvī taruṇī bālā tapasā ca vimohitā

Translation

“Where is Rudra to be seen, O girl? He is detached—of this there is no doubt. You are slender and young, O maiden, and this austerity has bewildered you.”

Word by Word

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• रुद्रः: Rudra (Śiva)
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular masculine)

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: is seen)

• बाले: O girl
• बाले: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative singular feminine)

• विरक्तः: detached, dispassionate
• विरक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-rakta (कृदन्त; रञ्ज्/रक्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Nominative singular masculine)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular masculine)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun; nominative singular)

• तन्वी: slender
• तन्वी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tanvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Nominative singular feminine)

• तरुणी: young woman
• तरुणी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: taruṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Nominative singular feminine)

• बाला: girl
• बाला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular feminine)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular neuter)

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

• विमोहिता: deluded, bewildered
• विमोहिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-moh (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (past passive participle: deluded)

Speaker

Himālaya (to Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavat gestures toward the empty horizon, questioning where Rudra can be seen; Pārvatī remains slender, youthful, steadfast, framed by stark mountains and a cold sky.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Himālaya
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is depicted as beyond ordinary attraction; approaching him requires spiritual maturity rather than mere emotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-khaṇḍa provides the Himalayan Kedāra context, though no single shrine is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse critiques excessive austerity from a worldly/parental viewpoint.