Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारिस्वरूपेण महेशो भगवान्भवः । सखीनां मध्यमाश्रित्य ह्युवाच बटुरूपवान् । किमर्थमालिमध्यस्था तन्वी सर्वांगसुन्दरी

Transliteration

brahmacārisvarūpeṇa maheśo bhagavānbhavaḥ | sakhīnāṃ madhyamāśritya hyuvāca baṭurūpavān | kimarthamālimadhyasthā tanvī sarvāṃgasundarī

Translation

Bhagavān Maheśa—Bhava lui-même—prit l’apparence d’un brahmacārin. Se tenant au milieu de ses compagnes, sous la forme d’un jeune ascète, il dit : « Dans quel but, ô frêle aux charmes parfaits, te tiens-tu ici au milieu de tes amies ? »

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारि-स्वरूपेण: in the form of a brahmacārin
• ब्रह्मचारि-स्वरूपेण: Karana (Manner/Instrumental of guise/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (प्रातिपदिक) + svarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समासपद (स्वरूप-शब्दः नपुंसक), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वरूपम्)

• महेशः: Maheśa
• महेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भगवान्: the blessed lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (Śiva)

• सखीनाम्: of (her) friends
• सखीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• मध्यमाम्: the one in the middle
• मध्यमाम्: Karma (Object of gerund/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मध्यमा’ = मध्यस्थ-स्त्री (the one in the middle)

• आश्रित्य: having approached
• आश्रित्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√śri (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: अव्यय-कृदन्त (ल्यप्), पूर्वकाल (having approached/taken refuge/leaned on)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/causal particle)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• बटुरूपवान्: having the form of a baṭu
• बटुरूपवान्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: baṭu (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद/तत्पुरुष-आधार + वत्-प्रत्यय (having the form of a baṭu)

• किमर्थम्: why
• किमर्थम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (for what reason)

• आलि-मध्यस्था: standing amid (your) friends
• आलि-मध्यस्था: Sambodhana (Addressed/सम्बोधन-प्राय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āli (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + sthā (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (आलीनां मध्ये स्थिता)

• तन्वी: slender one
• तन्वी: Sambodhana (Addressed/सम्बोधन-प्राय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (slender one)

• सर्वाङ्गसुन्दरी: beautiful in every limb
• सर्वाङ्गसुन्दरी: Sambodhana (Addressed/सम्बोधन-प्राय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + sundarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषाम् अङ्गानां सुन्दरी)

Speaker

Śiva (as a brahmacārin/baṭu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer(s) within the Kedāra māhātmya discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, disguised as a youthful brahmacārin, stands among Pārvatī’s companions and addresses her with a probing yet gentle question about her purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa
• Bhava
• Śiva
• Brahmacārin
• Pārvatī (implied)
• Sakhīs (companions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine goals are tested; steadfastness in dharma and tapas is refined through trials sent by the Lord himself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa, associated with the Kedāra/Himālaya sacred geography where Śiva’s presence and Pārvatī’s austerities are celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse introduces the context of tapas (austerity) and divine inquiry.