Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

अविद्यया वृतं तेन कृतं त्वष्ट्रा हि मण्डपम् । किं तु वक्ष्यामहे विष्णो मण्डपः केवलेन हि

Transliteration

avidyayā vṛtaṃ tena kṛtaṃ tvaṣṭrā hi maṇḍapam | kiṃ tu vakṣyāmahe viṣṇo maṇḍapaḥ kevalena hi

Translation

Enveloppé d’ignorance, ce maṇḍapa fut bien façonné par Tvaṣṭṛ. Mais que pouvons-nous en dire en vérité, ô Viṣṇu ? Après tout, un pavillon n’est qu’un pavillon.

Word by Word

• अविद्यया: by ignorance
• अविद्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• वृतम्: covered/enveloped
• वृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine/neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• कृतम्: made
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• त्वष्ट्रा: by Tvaṣṭṛ
• त्वष्ट्रा: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• मण्डपम्: pavilion
• मण्डपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• किम्: what?/but what
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle, used with तु)

• तु: but/however
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (adversative particle)

• वक्ष्यामहे: we shall say
• वक्ष्यामहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (plural), आत्मनेपदम्

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• मण्डपः: the pavilion
• मण्डपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• केवलेन: by mere/only (means)
• केवलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (masc./neut.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva) to Viṣṇu (direct vocative viṣṇo)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi assembly (frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara, serene and slightly admonitory, gestures toward an ornate maṇḍapa as if relativizing its importance; Viṣṇu listens thoughtfully; the pavilion appears beautiful yet subtly ‘empty’ in mood.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Śiva
• Viṣṇu
• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Avidyā
• Maṇḍapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly splendor, when veiled by ignorance, is ultimately ‘mere form’; wisdom looks past display to truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This teaching occurs within the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra-kṣetra setting, supporting the Shaiva mahātmya frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is philosophical—avidyā (ignorance) and the insignificance of mere external grandeur.