Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

न दृष्टं मस्तकं तस्य व्यापकस्य महात्मनः । किं वक्ष्येऽहं च देवाग्रे चिंता मे चाति वर्तते

Transliteration

na dṛṣṭaṃ mastakaṃ tasya vyāpakasya mahātmanaḥ | kiṃ vakṣye'haṃ ca devāgre ciṃtā me cāti vartate

Translation

Je n’ai pas vu la tête de ce grand Être qui pénètre tout. Que dirai-je devant les dieux ? Une immense inquiétude m’accable.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘दृष्टम्’ = seen

• mastakam: head, top
• mastakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mastaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• vyāpakasya: of the all-pervading one
• vyāpakasya: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyāpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘mahātmanaḥ’)

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled one
• mahātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + आत्मा (कर्मधारय)

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object of ‘vakṣye’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• vakṣye: shall I say
• vakṣye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• devāgre: in the presence of the gods
• devāgre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—देवानाम् अग्रे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• cintā: anxiety, worry
• cintā: Karta (Subject of ‘vartate’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• me: my, to me
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप (enclitic)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ati: excessively, greatly
• ati: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ati (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अत्यर्थक-अव्यय (intensifier ‘excessively’)

• vartate: exists, continues, prevails
• vartate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Brahmā (implied by narrative continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (rishi/saunaka-style frame typical of Purāṇas; specific interlocutors not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, returning from an upward search, stands troubled before a radiant, endless liṅga; gods assembled in a celestial court; his face shows fear and shame.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Liṅga (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Infinite cannot be grasped by effort alone; spiritual humility is essential when confronting divine transcendence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra’s sanctity is framed through the immeasurable Liṅga narrative, reinforcing the site’s Shaiva greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights inner struggle regarding truth and accountability.