Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

तदा नभो गता वाणी ब्रह्मणं च शशाप वै । मृषोक्तं च त्वया मंद किमर्थं बालिशेन हि

Transliteration

tadā nabho gatā vāṇī brahmaṇaṃ ca śaśāpa vai | mṛṣoktaṃ ca tvayā maṃda kimarthaṃ bāliśena hi

Translation

Alors la voix portée par le ciel maudit en vérité Brahmā : «Ô insensé, pourquoi, par puérilité, as-tu proféré le mensonge ?»

Word by Word

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

• नभः: sky
• नभः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गता: having gone
• गता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वाणी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• वाणी: voice
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• शशाप: cursed
• शशाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मृषोक्तम्: false speech / lie spoken
• मृषोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृषा + उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारयः (मृषा-उक्तम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘असत्यवचनम्’ अर्थे

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

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• मन्द: O dull one
• मन्द: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• किमर्थम्: why / for what reason
• किमर्थम्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• बालिशेन: by a foolish person
• बालिशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

Speaker

Ākāśavāṇī (divine sky-voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (and implicitly the assembly of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An unseen ākāśavāṇī resounds from the sky, censuring Brahmā for false speech; Brahmā stands chastened amid sages, with the distant suggestion of a radiant liṅga as the ultimate refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Ākāśavāṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Status does not excuse adharma; falsehood invites censure even for Brahmā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the Kedāra narrative teaches dharma through the liṅga episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral and cosmic judgment pronounced as a curse.