Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अहो विमोहितस्तेन प्रतिरूपेण भास्वता । तथा विष्णुः कृतस्तेन शंखचक्रगदादिभृत्

Transliteration

aho vimohitastena pratirūpeṇa bhāsvatā | tathā viṣṇuḥ kṛtastena śaṃkhacakragadādibhṛt

Translation

«Hélas ! Par cette forme contrefaite et lumineuse, tu as été abusé. De même, par lui, Viṣṇu aussi fut fait apparaître portant la conque, le disque, la massue et le reste.»

Word by Word

• aho: alas!/ah!
• aho: Bhāva (Exclamatory particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विस्मयादिबोधक निपात) — exclamation

• vimohitaḥ: deluded
• vimohitaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-muh (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘deluded’

• tena: by him
• tena: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by him/with that’

• pratirūpeṇa: by a counterfeit form
• pratirūpeṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati-rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by a counterfeit form/semblance’

• bhāsvatā: shining
• bhāsvatā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāsvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘shining’ (विशेषण, qualifying pratirūpeṇa)

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Prakāra (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक) — ‘thus/likewise’

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject in passive clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kṛtaḥ: was made
• kṛtaḥ: Kriyā (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृत (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘was made’

• tena: by him
• tena: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by him’

• śaṃkha-cakra-gadā-ādi-bhṛt: bearing conch, discus, mace, etc.
• śaṃkha-cakra-gadā-ādi-bhṛt: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṃkha + cakra + gadā + ādi + bhṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘bearing conch, discus, mace, etc.’ (विशेषण of viṣṇuḥ)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada describes a radiant counterfeit that bewilders Indra; simultaneously, a false Viṣṇu-form appears—brilliant, holding conch, discus, mace—yet subtly uncanny, signaling deception.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Viṣṇu
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External brilliance can mislead; truth is known by discernment, not mere appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it supports the larger Kedārakhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.