Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

शौनक उवाच । अश्वमेधशतेनैव प्राप्तं राज्यं महत्तरम् । देवानामखिलं सूत कस्माद्विघ्रमजायत । शक्रस्य च महाभाग यथावत्कथयस्व न

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca | aśvamedhaśatenaiva prāptaṃ rājyaṃ mahattaram | devānāmakhilaṃ sūta kasmādvighramajāyata | śakrasya ca mahābhāga yathāvatkathayasva na

Translation

Śaunaka dit : «Par cent sacrifices de l’Aśvamedha, on obtint une souveraineté très grande. Pourtant, ô Sūta, pourquoi un obstacle surgit-il pour l’ensemble des dieux ? Et toi, fortuné, raconte-nous comme il convient au sujet de Śakra (Indra).»

Word by Word

• śaunakaḥ: Shaunaka
• śaunakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaunaka (शौनक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच्)
• Form: Lit Lakara (Perfect), Parasmaipada, Prathama Purusha (3rd), Singular

• aśvamedha-śatena: by a hundred horse-sacrifices
• aśvamedha-śatena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha-śata (अश्वमेध-शत)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: Particle (Emphasis)

• prāptam: obtained
• prāptam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta (प्राप्त - pra+āp)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (kta), Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (Object/कर्म) in passive construction
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (राज्य)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• mahattaram: greater/very great
• mahattaram: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahattara (महत्तर)
• Form: Comparative Degree, Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• akhilam: entire/whole
• akhilam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (अखिल)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• sūta: O Suta
• sūta: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (सूत)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (Sambodhana), Singular

• kasmāt: why/from what
• kasmāt: Apadana (Source/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (किम्)
• Form: Interrogative Pronoun, Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (Used as adverb 'why')

• vighnam: obstacle
• vighnam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna (विघ्न)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular. (Note: Text has 'vighram', likely scribal error for 'vighnam')

• ajāyata: arose/happened
• ajāyata: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (जन्)
• Form: Lang Lakara (Imperfect), Atmanepada, Prathama Purusha (3rd), Singular

• śakrasya: of Indra
• śakrasya: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (शक्र)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: Conjunction

• mahābhāga: O illustrious one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahābhāga (महाभाग)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (Sambodhana), Singular

• yathāvat: exactly as it was/truly
• yathāvat: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathāvat (यथावत्)
• Form: Adverb

• kathayasva: tell/narrate
• kathayasva: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (कथ्)
• Form: Lot Lakara (Imperative), Atmanepada, Madhyama Purusha (2nd), Singular

• naḥ: to us
• naḥ: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्)
• Form: Pronoun, Dative/Genitive (4th/6th), Plural. (Text reads 'na', likely 'naḥ' sandhi or typo)

Speaker

Śaunaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest-āśrama setting: Śaunaka and sages seated around Sūta, asking why a divine obstacle arose despite a hundred Aśvamedhas; distant Himalayan aura hints at Kedāra context.

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Sūta
• Indra
• Śakra
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even immense ritual merit can be obstructed when underlying adharma or unresolved sin remains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly praised; the verse is a narrative question within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice) is referenced as a major royal rite, but no new performance rule is prescribed here.