Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

प्रयोगो भण्यतां ब्रह्मन्नस्मिन्समय आगते । तथेति मत्वा ते सर्वे कालज्ञा द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

prayogo bhaṇyatāṃ brahmannasminsamaya āgate | tatheti matvā te sarve kālajñā dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

« Ô brahmane, puisque l’heure propice est venue, énonce la procédure du rite. » Pensant « Qu’il en soit ainsi », tous ces brahmanes éminents, connaisseurs du temps juste, acquiescèrent.

Word by Word

• प्रयोगः: the procedure, rite
• प्रयोगः: Karma (Object of injunction/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भण्यताम्: let (it) be stated
• भण्यताम्: Kriyā (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भण् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘let it be told/declared’

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (priest)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समये: at the time
• समये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आगते: having arrived
• आगते: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time circumstance/काल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी—‘when (it) has come/arrived’

• तथा: so, thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• मत्वा: having thought
• मत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), ‘having thought/considered’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of ते)

• कालज्ञाः: knowers of the proper time
• कालज्ञाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कालं जानन्ति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्विजानां सत्तमाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (traditional frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal consultation: Himādri requests the Brahmin to state the ritual procedure; assembled Brahmins, expert in timing, assent in unison.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced with right method and right timing; sacred acts become effective when done according to proper procedure (prayoga) and auspicious time (kāla).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra region), though this verse itself focuses on ritual readiness rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request to state the prayoga—i.e., the exact ritual procedure to be followed now that the proper time has come.