Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

आकर्ण्य वचनं विष्णोर्ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । उवाच त्वरितेनैव केतकी सुरभीति च

Transliteration

ākarṇya vacanaṃ viṣṇorbrahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | uvāca tvaritenaiva ketakī surabhīti ca

Translation

Entendant les paroles de Viṣṇu, Brahmā —l’aïeul des mondes— répondit aussitôt : « Ketakī et Surabhī ».

Word by Word

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + कर्ण् (धातु) → आकर्ण्य (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘having heard’

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन; object of ‘having heard’

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचन; ‘of Viṣṇu’

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचन; subject

• लोकपितामहः: grandfather of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative) ‘लोकस्य पितामहः’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; apposition to ब्रह्मा

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘said’

• त्वरितेन: quickly
• त्वरितेन: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचन; करण/रीत्या ‘with haste/quickly’ (instrumental of manner)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle) ‘indeed/just’

• केतकी: Ketakī (pandanus flower)
• केतकी: Karma (Quoted content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचन; (as name)

• सुरभी: Surabhī
• सुरभी: Karma (Quoted content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरभी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; (as name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle) ‘thus’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction) ‘and’

Speaker

Sūta (narration of Brahmā’s reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīkedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, hearing Viṣṇu, quickly names Ketakī flower and Surabhī as witnesses; devas lean in as the plot turns toward testimony.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Ketakī
• Surabhī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings may resort to dubious supports for their claims; dharma demands truth over reputation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra framework continues, but this verse centers on the cosmic dispute narrative rather than a local tīrtha instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces named witnesses within the storyline.