Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

विवाहो हि महाभागा न दृष्टो न श्रुतोऽपि वा । मया पुरा च ऋषयः कथ्यतां च विशेषतः

Transliteration

vivāho hi mahābhāgā na dṛṣṭo na śruto'pi vā | mayā purā ca ṛṣayaḥ kathyatāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

«Ô sages fortunés, un tel mariage n’a jamais été vu ni même entendu. Aussi, ô rishis, décrivez-le-moi—tout particulièrement en détail.»

Word by Word

• vivāhaḥ: marriage
• vivāhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• mahābhāgā: O fortunate lady
• mahābhāgā: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-bhāgā (प्रातिपदिक; महत् + भाग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• dṛṣṭaḥ: seen
• dṛṣṭaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अत्र: ‘दृष्टः’ = ‘seen’)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• śrutaḥ: heard
• śrutaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अत्र: ‘श्रुतः’ = ‘heard’)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: and)

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• kathyatām: let it be said
• kathyatām: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘कथ्यताम्’ = ‘let it be told/said’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: and)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिलन्त अव्यय (adverb: especially/in particular)

Speaker

Śiva (in reply, within the narrative); overall narration by Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sadāśiva (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of venerable ṛṣis in a Himalayan hermitage near Kedāra, addressing Sadāśiva with wonder, requesting a detailed account of an unprecedented divine wedding.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Vivāha (wedding rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is to be performed with understanding—proper rites are learned, asked about, and carried out with clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa, aligned with the Kedāra-Himalayan Śaiva sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vivāha is the ritual topic; the verse requests a detailed description rather than giving the steps.