Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 198

Devanagari script

एको वेदश्चतुष्पादैः क्रियते द्विजहेतवे । इतिहासपुराणानि भिद्यंते लोकगौरवात्

Transliteration

eko vedaścatuṣpādaiḥ kriyate dvijahetave | itihāsapurāṇāni bhidyaṃte lokagauravāt

Translation

ದ್ವಿಜರ ಹಿತಾರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಏಕವೇದವನ್ನು ನಾಲ್ಕು ಪಾದಗಳಾಗಿ (ನಾಲ್ಕು ಭಾಗಗಳಾಗಿ) ಮಾಡಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಲೋಕಗೌರವ ಹಾಗೂ ಮಾರ್ಗದರ್ಶನಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಇತಿಹಾಸ-ಪುರಾಣಗಳೂ ವಿಭಜಿಸಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತವೆ.

Word by Word

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वेदः: Veda
• वेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुष्पादैः: with four pādas (quarters)
• चतुष्पादैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुस् + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); द्विगु/संख्यापूर्वक-तत्पुरुष-स्वभावः (‘four-footed/with four pādas’)

• क्रियते: is made / is arranged
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• द्विजहेतवे: for the sake of the twice-born
• द्विजहेतवे: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: द्विजानां हेतवे (‘for the sake of the twice-born’)

• इतिहासपुराणानि: the Itihāsas and Purāṇas
• इतिहासपुराणानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); इतिहासनां च पुराणानां च समाहार-द्वन्द्वः

• भिद्यन्ते: are divided
• भिद्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भिद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• लोकगौरवात्: because of worldly esteem / for the people’s reverence
• लोकगौरवात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + गौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: लोकस्य गौरवात् (‘due to the esteem of the people/world’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: one radiant Veda becomes four; beside it, branching scrolls labeled Itihāsa and Purāṇa spreading toward towns and pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• dvija
• Itihāsa
• Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Revelation adapts in form for accessibility: Veda is organized, and Purāṇa–Itihāsa traditions are classified to support dharma in the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the theme is the authority and organization of sacred literature.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns scriptural structure, not a specific ritual.