Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा परस्परजयैषिणाम् । प्रहस्य नारदो वाक्यमुवाच शिवसन्निधौ

Transliteration

teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā parasparajayaiṣiṇām | prahasya nārado vākyamuvāca śivasannidhau

Translation

Entendant les paroles de ceux qui ne cherchaient qu’à se vaincre les uns les autres, Nārada éclata de rire et prit la parole en la présence de Śiva.

Word by Word

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (pronoun, genitive plural)

• tat-vacanam: that statement
• tat-vacanam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (tat-vacana: 'that speech/statement')

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having heard'

• paraspara-jaya-eṣiṇām: of those seeking mutual victory
• paraspara-jaya-eṣiṇām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक) + jaya (प्रातिपदिक) + eṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (paraspara-jaya-eṣin: 'seeking victory over one another')

• prahasya: having laughed
• prahasya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√has (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having laughed'

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• vākyam: speech; words
• vākyam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् लकार (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (perfect, 3rd sg)

• śiva-sannidhau: in the presence of Śiva
• śiva-sannidhau: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (in Śiva's presence)

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Nārada’s intervention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada enters the scene with a vīṇā, smiling; the disputants freeze mid-gesture. The sanctum behind suggests Śiva’s silent witness.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discourse should aim at truth and transformation, not triumph over others—victory-seeking debate invites correction by the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to the Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s Kedāra tīrtha-region, where Śiva’s presence sanctifies the narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it marks the transition to Nārada’s instructive speech amid the ongoing sacred proceedings.