Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

विमृश्य कारणं देवी किमाह्वानं करोति न । दक्षः पिता मे माता च विस्मृता मां कुतोऽधुना

Transliteration

vimṛśya kāraṇaṃ devī kimāhvānaṃ karoti na | dakṣaḥ pitā me mātā ca vismṛtā māṃ kuto'dhunā

Translation

ಕಾರಣವನ್ನು ವಿಮರ್ಶಿಸಿದ ದೇವಿ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿಂತಿಸಿದಳು— “ಅವನು ನನಗೆ ಆಹ್ವಾನವನ್ನು ಏಕೆ ಕಳುಹಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ? ದಕ್ಷನು ನನ್ನ ತಂದೆ, ತಾಯಿಯೂ; ಅವರು ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಮರೆತಾರೆಯೇ? ಈಗ ಅದು ಹೇಗೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯ?”

Word by Word

• विमृश्य: having reflected/considered
• विमृश्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√मृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातु: मृश्, उपसर्ग: वि-; अर्थे: ‘विचार्य/परामृश्य’

• कारणम्: the reason/cause
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• आह्वानम्: invitation/calling
• आह्वानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आह्वान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• करोति: does/makes
• करोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• पिता: father
• पिता: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; पितृ-शब्द

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; मातृ-शब्द

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विस्मृता: is forgotten/has been forgotten
• विस्मृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: स्मृ, उपसर्ग: वि-

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कुतः: how/whence
• कुतः: Hetu/Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb: ‘whence/how’)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced); internal thought of Vijayā/Satī-like figure in Dakṣa-yajña context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-audience within the Purāṇic dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Satī, inwardly troubled, reflects on the missing invitation from her father Dakṣa; the mood is intimate—quiet palace/āśrama space, companions nearby, her gaze lowered in thought.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Mother of Vijayā (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual without humility and right relationship (dharma) becomes a cause of conflict; neglect and pride distort sacred acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region is the overarching setting in Kedārakhaṇḍa; this verse is narrative and not a direct tīrtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it questions the absence of invitation to a sacrifice.