Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ऊचुः परस्परं तत्र नानादर्शनवेदिनः । वेदवादरताः केचिदवदन्संमतेन वै

Transliteration

ūcuḥ parasparaṃ tatra nānādarśanavedinaḥ | vedavādaratāḥ kecidavadansaṃmatena vai

Translation

Là, ceux qui connaissaient de multiples doctrines s’entretenaient entre eux ; et certains, voués à la controverse sur les Veda, argumentaient selon ce que chacun tenait pour « admis » ou faisant autorité.

Word by Word

• ऊचुः: they said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• परस्परम्: to one another
• परस्परम्: Sambandha (Reciprocal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (reciprocal adverb: ‘to one another’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• नाना: various
• नाना: None
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/विशेषणार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय-विशेषण (indeclinable adjective: ‘various’)

• दर्शन: view/doctrine
• दर्शन: None
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• वेदिनः: knowers
• वेदिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘knowers’

• नानादर्शनवेदिनः: knowers of various doctrines
• नानादर्शनवेदिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना + दर्शन + वेदिन् (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: ‘knowers of various doctrines’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वेद: Veda
• वेद: None
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• वाद: doctrine/disputation
• वाद: None
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• रताः: devoted/engaged
• रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (devoted)

• वेदवादरताः: devoted to Vedic doctrine/disputation
• वेदवादरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + वाद + रत (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (locative/genitive sense: ‘devoted to Vedic discourse’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite: ‘some’)

• अवदन्: said/spoke
• अवदन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• संमतेन: with agreement/consent
• संमतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘by agreement/with consent’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa Kedāra-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Groups of learned seers converse in clusters near the ongoing rite—some calm, some animated—gesturing as they compare doctrines and Vedic interpretations while the sacred ceremony continues.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Ṛṣis (implicit assembly)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mere intellectual debate, even about scripture, can become self-referential; wisdom requires moving from argument to realized truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion occurs in the Kedāra-khaṇḍa setting, part of the Kedāra pilgrimage world centered on Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it describes doctrinal debate arising in the ritual assembly.