Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

मूढेयं पार्वती सख्यो न जानाति हिताहितम् । किमर्थं च तपः कार्यं रुद्रपाप्त्यर्थमेव च

Transliteration

mūḍheyaṃ pārvatī sakhyo na jānāti hitāhitam | kimarthaṃ ca tapaḥ kāryaṃ rudrapāptyarthameva ca

Translation

Ô mes amies, cette Pārvatī est dans l’illusion ; elle ne distingue pas ce qui est salutaire de ce qui est nuisible. Pourquoi donc entreprendre des austérités—uniquement pour obtenir Rudra ?

Word by Word

• मूढा: deluded/foolish
• मूढा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण of "पार्वती"

• इयम्: this (girl)
• इयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• सख्यः: O friends!
• सख्यः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), बहुवचन (plural)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थ-अव्यय (negation particle)

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• हिताहितम्: what is beneficial and harmful
• हिताहितम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक) + अहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन (singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative): good and bad (beneficial and harmful)

• किमर्थम्: for what purpose
• किमर्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Purpose adverb/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थ-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: for what purpose?); समास (tatpurusha)

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

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• कार्यम्: to be done/necessary
• कार्यम्: Vidhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन (singular); विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective): "is to be done"

• रुद्रपाप्त्यर्थम्: for the sake of attaining Rudra
• रुद्रपाप्त्यर्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Purpose adverb/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (adverbial): "for the purpose of attaining Rudra"; प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose)

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; only/indeed)

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

Speaker

Śiva (as a brahmacārin/baṭu, speaking provocatively)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sakhīs (direct addressees) and the recitation audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The batu (Śiva in disguise) speaks to the sakhīs, calling Pārvatī ‘deluded’ and questioning the purpose of tapas for Rudra-attainment—an intentionally provocative statement meant to test reactions.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Rudra
• Śiva
• Sakhīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Apparent criticism can be a spiritual test; devotion must remain steady despite discouragement or blame.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Himalayan Śaiva setting, where Pārvatī’s tapas and Śiva’s tests are narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is referenced as the means for Rudra-prāpti (attaining Śiva), though no specific vrata details appear here.