Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

केतुश्च धूमरूपोऽसावाकाशे विलयं गतः । सुधां समर्प्य चंद्राय तिरोधानगतोऽभवत्

Transliteration

ketuśca dhūmarūpo'sāvākāśe vilayaṃ gataḥ | sudhāṃ samarpya caṃdrāya tirodhānagato'bhavat

Translation

Et Ketu, prenant une forme de fumée, se fondit dans le ciel ; après avoir remis le nectar à la Lune, il disparut aux regards.

Word by Word

• केतुः: Ketu (the comet/planetary node)
• केतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• धूमरूपः: smoke-formed, having the form of smoke
• धूमरूपः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धूम-रूप (प्रातिपदिक); धूम + रूप
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying केतुः)

• असौ: that one, he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विलयम्: dissolution, disappearance
• विलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as goal/state)

• गतः: gone, having gone (entered)
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (used predicatively with असौ/केतुः)

• सुधाम्: nectar, ambrosia
• सुधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समर्प्य: having offered
• समर्प्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+अर्प् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/क्त्वान्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having offered)

• चन्द्राय: to the Moon
• चन्द्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• तिरोधानगतः: gone into concealment, disappeared
• तिरोधानगतः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिरोधान-गत (प्रातिपदिक); तिरोधान + गत
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying असौ)

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ketu assumes a smoky, comet-like form, dissolves into the sky; a luminous vessel of nectar is offered to the Moon, after which Ketu vanishes—celestial space filled with mist and moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Ketu
• Candra
• Sudhā (Amṛta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

What is gained through deception cannot be held openly; concealment and dissolution follow adharma-driven grasping.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s mythic framework that supports the sanctification of local sites through cosmic events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates Ketu’s disappearance and the handling of sudhā.