Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

इंद्राद्यैश्च तदा देवैरुक्ता च सुरभी ततः । उवाच केतकीसार्द्धं दृष्टो वै ब्रह्मणा सुराः

Transliteration

iṃdrādyaiśca tadā devairuktā ca surabhī tataḥ | uvāca ketakīsārddhaṃ dṛṣṭo vai brahmaṇā surāḥ

Translation

Entonces Surabhī, interpelada por Indra y los demás dioses, habló junto con Ketakī, diciendo: «En verdad, oh dioses, Brahmā ha visto la cumbre».

Word by Word

• इन्द्राद्यैः: by Indra and others
• इन्द्राद्यैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (आदि-समास: ‘इन्द्रः आदिः येषाम्’) बहुव्रीहिसदृश-समूहवाचक; पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; ‘by Indra and others’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय ‘and’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय ‘then’

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Kartr (Agent of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; agent of passive ‘was told’

• उक्ता: was told/addressed
• उक्ता: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; predicate of सुरभी ‘was addressed/told’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय ‘and’

• सुरभी: Surabhī
• सुरभी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरभी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; subject of उक्ता/उवाच

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Kala (Sequence/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त/अव्यय (ablatival/sequence adverb) ‘thereupon/then’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘said’

• केतकीसार्धम्: together with Ketakī
• केतकीसार्धम्: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सहकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केतकी (प्रातिपदिक) + सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (सहार्थ) ‘केतक्या सह’; अव्यय ‘together with Ketakī’

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; passive predicate ‘was seen’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle) ‘indeed’

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Kartr (Agent of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; agent of passive ‘by Brahmā’

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; subject in reported clause (those seen)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīkedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Surabhī and Ketakī, questioned by Indra and devas, jointly affirm Brahmā’s claim that he saw the summit—an ethically charged moment foreshadowing punishment and ritual taboo.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Devas
• Surabhī
• Ketakī
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

False endorsement, even among the divine, becomes a cause of downfall when it contradicts reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedārakhaṇḍa) provides the sacred narrative frame; the verse itself focuses on the liṅga episode rather than a site-benefit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it records a claim presented as testimony.