Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणो हि वचः श्रुत्वा प्रहसन्नब्रवीच्छिवः । यदा मया कृता देवी गिरिजा सर्वसुन्दरी

Transliteration

brahmaṇo hi vacaḥ śrutvā prahasannabravīcchivaḥ | yadā mayā kṛtā devī girijā sarvasundarī

Translation

Ayant entendu les paroles de Brahmā, Śiva sourit et dit : «Lorsque je façonnai la Déesse Girijā, toute beauté incarnée…»

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Possessor/Source of speech)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• वचः: words, speech
• वचः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• प्रहसन्: smiling, laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta (Subject attribute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala (Time relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb of time)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr̥ (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• कृता: made, done
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि/कर्मणि-सम्भव, here predicate with devī

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject of subordinate clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गिरिजा: Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजा: Karta (Appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवी-समनाधिकरण (apposition)

• सर्वसुन्दरी: all-beautiful, most beautiful
• सर्वसुन्दरी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of देवी/गिरिजा)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (and devas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, having heard Brahmā, smiles softly; the atmosphere shifts from urgency to confident grace. The mention of Girijā ‘all-beautiful’ invites a luminous glimpse of Devī’s form.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brahmā
• Girijā
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine handles even cosmic crises with sovereign calm; Śiva’s smile signals mastery and benevolent intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa setting continues, but this verse is theological—focused on Śiva and Devī—rather than on a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces Śiva’s ensuing explanation.