Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

अहं शिवात्मिका मूढ शिवो नित्यं मयि स्थितः । कथं शिवाभ्यां भिन्नत्वं त्वयोक्तं वाग्बलेन हि

Transliteration

ahaṃ śivātmikā mūḍha śivo nityaṃ mayi sthitaḥ | kathaṃ śivābhyāṃ bhinnatvaṃ tvayoktaṃ vāgbalena hi

Translation

«Je suis de la nature même de Śiva, ô égaré ; Śiva demeure sans cesse en moi. Comment donc as-tu, par la seule force des mots, proclamé une différence entre Śiva et moi ?»

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष-सूचक; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative singular)

• शिवात्मिका: having Śiva as (my) self; Śiva-natured
• शिवात्मिका: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; विशेषण (Feminine nominative singular adjective); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य आत्मा यस्याः)

• मूढ: O deluded one
• मूढ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मुह्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन (Vocative singular)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative singular)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• मयि: in me
• मयि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; सप्तमी (Locative singular)

• स्थितः: situated; abiding
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate adjective to शिवः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; विशेषण (Masculine nominative singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Adverbial (प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• शिवाभ्याम्: from/with the two (i.e., Śiva and me)
• शिवाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/means; here: basis of comparison/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्विवचन; तृतीया (Instrumental dual)

• भिन्नत्वम्: difference; separateness
• भिन्नत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिन्नत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भिन्न + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; तृतीया (Instrumental singular)

• उक्तम्: said; spoken
• उक्तम्: Karma (Predicate to object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (agreeing with भिन्नत्वम् as predicate: ‘said’)

• वाग्बलेन: by force of words; by verbal prowess
• वाग्बलेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया (Instrumental singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वाचः बलम्)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/पदार्थ-प्रकाशक अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a Himalayan shrine-court near Kedāra, Devī (Pārvatī) speaks with serene authority, declaring her identity with Śiva; Bhṛṅgī stands nearby, tense, while Śiva sits as silent witness—an icon of non-duality confronting verbal disputation.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches Śiva-Śakti abheda: the Divine Couple are not to be treated as separate in essence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra milieu, supporting the region’s Shaiva theology rather than naming a single spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal correction about non-separateness in devotion.