Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

इत्थं स्तुवत्सु देवेषु नन्दी प्रोवाच तान्प्रति । किमर्थमागता यूयं किं वा मनसि वर्तते

Transliteration

itthaṃ stuvatsu deveṣu nandī provāca tānprati | kimarthamāgatā yūyaṃ kiṃ vā manasi vartate

Translation

Tandis que les dieux louaient ainsi, Nandī leur dit : «Dans quel but êtes-vous venus, et qu’est-ce qui demeure en vos pensées ?»

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus, in this manner
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• स्तुवत्सु: while (they were) praising
• स्तुवत्सु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative setting)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु) → स्तुवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual)

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नन्दी: Nandin
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रति: towards, to
• प्रति: Sambandha (Relational: towards)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग-निपात; here: preposition)

• किमर्थम्: for what purpose? why?
• किमर्थम्: Hetu-prashna (Interrogative of purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (interrogative adverb), अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• आगताः: having come, arrived
• आगताः: Karta (Subject complement: you all)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karman/Prashna (Interrogative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular) (interrogative)

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक-निपात/conjunction: disjunctive)

• मनसि: in (your) mind
• मनसि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वर्तते: is, exists, is going on
• वर्तते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Nandī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the devas (addressed by Nandī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial assembly of devas mid-hymn; Nandī, the bull-bannered gaṇa-chief, steps forward and questions their intent at the threshold of Śiva’s presence in a Himalayan shrine setting.

Characters & Entities

• Nandī
• Devas
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching the divine requires clarity of intention; even gods must articulate their purpose before seeking grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, where Nandī serves as gatekeeper and guide in the sacred encounter with Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights proper approach (maryādā) through respectful dialogue and stated intention.