Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन श्वेतः कालेन चैव हि । उवाच प्रहसन्वाचा मेघनादगभीरया

Transliteration

evamuktastadā tena śvetaḥ kālena caiva hi | uvāca prahasanvācā meghanādagabhīrayā

Translation

Ainsi interpellé alors par Kāla, le roi Śveta répondit, souriant, d’une voix profonde comme le grondement des nuages.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• उक्तः: addressed/spoken to
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अर्थे: ‘having been spoken to/ addressed’)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• श्वेतः: Śveta (proper name)
• श्वेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (व्यक्तिनाम)

• कालेन: by Time (Kāla)
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रहसन्: smiling/laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वाचा: with speech/voice
• वाचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मेघनादगभीरया: deep like thunder
• मेघनादगभीरया: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघनाद + गभीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वाचा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāla addresses the king; the king responds smiling, his voice deep like thunderclouds—an image of calm valor before cosmic dread.

Characters & Entities

• Śveta Rājā
• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic devotee faces even Kāla with calm confidence, grounded in Śiva’s protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-region Mahātmya frame continues, celebrating Śiva’s presence and protection in the Kedāra sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description setting up the king’s response.