Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

परिदृश्यमानमेतच्चानश्वरं परमार्थतः । विद्ध्येतत्सर्वसिद्ध्यैव कृतकत्वाच्च नश्वरम्

Transliteration

paridṛśyamānametaccānaśvaraṃ paramārthataḥ | viddhyetatsarvasiddhyaiva kṛtakatvācca naśvaram

Translation

Ce monde que l’on voit n’est pas, au sens ultime, véritablement impérissable. Sache-le périssable, précisément parce qu’il est fabriqué ; et cette compréhension même mène à l’accomplissement total.

Word by Word

• परिदृश्यमानम्: being seen, perceptible
• परिदृश्यमानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-दृश् (धातु) → परिदृश्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifying "एतत्"

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• अनश्वरम्: imperishable
• अनश्वरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-नश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; "एतत्"-विशेषण

• परमार्थतः: in ultimate truth
• परमार्थतः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/standpoint)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परमार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), अर्थे: "from the standpoint of"

• विद्धि: know (you)
• विद्धि: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वसिद्ध्यै: for all attainments
• सर्वसिद्ध्यै: Sampradāna (Purpose/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वस्य सिद्धिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (दत्तिव), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• कृतकत्वात्: because of being made/produced
• कृतकत्वात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतकत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (causal)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• नश्वरम्: perishable
• नश्वरम्: Viśeṣaṇa/Predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; implied predicate with "एतत्"

Speaker

Śiva (continuing from “Maheśvara uvāca”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan hermitage setting near Kedāra: a teacher points toward snow-peaks and flowing waters as symbols of change, while disciples contemplate the transient world and the unchanging Śiva-principle.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discerning the created world’s impermanence (kṛtakatva) is a direct aid to spiritual accomplishment and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra setting frames the teaching, presenting the tirtha as a locus for renunciatory insight.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes a contemplative discernment rather than an external rite.