Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तदुक्तं विष्णुना वाक्यं निशम्य जगदीश्वरः । उवाच प्रहसन्नेव चंडीं प्रति सदाशिवः

Transliteration

taduktaṃ viṣṇunā vākyaṃ niśamya jagadīśvaraḥ | uvāca prahasanneva caṃḍīṃ prati sadāśivaḥ

Translation

Entendant les paroles de Viṣṇu, le Seigneur de l’univers—Sadāśiva—sourit et répondit à Caṇḍī.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun) — here used adjectivally with ‘उक्तम्’

• उक्तम्: spoken/said
• उक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘said/spoken’

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; agent/instrument ‘by Viṣṇu’

• वाक्यम्: speech/statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + शम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययीभाव/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having heard’

• जगद्-ईश्वरः: Lord of the world
• जगद्-ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative) ‘जगतः ईश्वरः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रहसन्: smiling
• प्रहसन्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘laughing/smiling’ (qualifies सदाशिवः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — emphasis ‘indeed/just’

• चण्डीम्: Caṇḍī
• चण्डीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रति: towards/to
• प्रति: Sampradāna/Direction (प्रति-योग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition) — ‘towards/to’

• सदाशिवः: Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सदा शिवः = ever-auspicious); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa); direct speech introduced for Sadāśiva next

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the Himalayan Kedāra setting, Viṣṇu speaks; Sadāśiva, serene and smiling, turns toward Caṇḍī to reply—divine calm amid charged circumstances.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Jagadīśvara (Śiva)
• Sadāśiva
• Caṇḍī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine governance is marked by calm clarity—Śiva responds with composure, not agitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa, thus tied to Kedārakṣetra’s sacred atmosphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse functions as narrative transition into Śiva’s instruction.