Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20
धर्ममात्यंतिकं तुच्छं नश्वरं क्षणभंगुरम् । यो विष्णुः स शिवो ज्ञेयो यः शिवो विष्णुरेव सः
dharmamātyaṃtikaṃ tucchaṃ naśvaraṃ kṣaṇabhaṃguram | yo viṣṇuḥ sa śivo jñeyo yaḥ śivo viṣṇureva saḥ
La religiosité mondaine, ‘suprême’ seulement de nom, est dérisoire, périssable et brisée en un instant. Sache que celui qui est Viṣṇu est Śiva, et que celui qui est Śiva est, certes, Viṣṇu.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha
Type: kshetra
Scene: A single divine form blending Śiva and Viṣṇu (Harihara) stands above a dissolving tableau of fleeting worldly ‘dharma’ symbols (crowns, titles, ritual paraphernalia), indicating impermanence; pilgrims gaze with awakened understanding.
FAQs
Sectarian division is transcended: Viṣṇu and Śiva are affirmed as one reality, while shallow, transient religiosity is critiqued.
Kedāra is the narrative setting; the teaching supports the universality of Kedāra’s Śiva worship without denying Viṣṇu.
No direct ritual; it establishes a theological basis for inclusive devotion, especially around liṅga worship.