Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

बभाषे वचनं देवी प्रस्तापसदृशं तदा । अनाहूतस्त्वया कस्माच्छंभुः परमशोभनः

Transliteration

babhāṣe vacanaṃ devī prastāpasadṛśaṃ tadā | anāhūtastvayā kasmācchaṃbhuḥ paramaśobhanaḥ

Translation

Alors la Déesse prononça des paroles dignes de l’instant : «Pourquoi n’as-tu pas convié Śambhu, le plus resplendissant de tous ?»

Word by Word

• बभाषे: spoke
• बभाषे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्; धातु: भाष्

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रस्ताप-सदृशम्: befitting the occasion/context
• प्रस्ताप-सदृशम्: Karma-anvaya (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रस्ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश: 'प्रस्तापस्य सदृशम्'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अनाहूतः: uninvited, not called
• अनाहूतः: Karta-anvaya (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आह्वा (धातु) + अन्- (उपसर्ग/निषेध) → अनाहूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana/Agent-instrument (by you/त्वया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), त्रितीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन (singular)

• कस्मात्: from what reason? why?
• कस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• शंभुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परम-शोभनः: supremely splendid
• परम-शोभनः: Karta-anvaya (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास ('परमः शोभनः'); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Devī (deduced from ‘devī uvāca’ sense within the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly of sages; within verse the Goddess addresses the yajña-host/officiant

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess, poised and radiant, addresses the officiant/assembly with a pointed question about why Śambhu was not invited; a yajña-maṇḍapa with fire altar, ladles, and gathered sages forms the backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No sacred act is complete when the Supreme Lord (Śiva) is disregarded; right intention and right honoring are essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region’s Śaiva framework is implied; the verse supports Kedāra Mahātmya by affirming Śiva’s primacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied prescription: the principal deity (Śiva) must be duly invited/propitiated for ritual completeness.