Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अतः परं महादिव्यविधानं श्रृणु यद्भवेत् । संशयच्छेदि सर्वेषां धार्ष्ट्यत्तद्दिव्यमेव च

Transliteration

ataḥ paraṃ mahādivyavidhānaṃ śrṛṇu yadbhavet | saṃśayacchedi sarveṣāṃ dhārṣṭyattaddivyameva ca

Translation

ഇനി യഥാവിധിയായ മഹാദിവ്യവിധാനം ശ്രവിക്കൂ. ഇത് എല്ലാവരുടെയും സംശയങ്ങളെ ഛേദിക്കുന്നു; തന്റെ ധൈര്യനിശ്ചയത്താൽ സത്യമായും ദിവ്യമാണ്.

Word by Word

• ataḥ: therefore, from this
• ataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), अपादानार्थ/हेतौ (from this/therefore)

• param: further, next
• param: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• mahā-divya-vidhānam: the great divine ordinance/ritual procedure
• mahā-divya-vidhānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + divya (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महद्/महान् + दिव्य + विधान)

• śṛṇu: hear
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative link)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• bhavet: may be, would occur
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• saṃśaya-cchedi: doubt-dispelling
• saṃśaya-cchedi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक) + chedin (छेदिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (संशयस्य छेदी)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), बहुवचन

• dhārṣṭyāt: from boldness/impudence
• dhārṣṭyāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhārṣṭya (धार्ष्ट्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (ablative), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-narrator formally announces a ‘great divine ordinance’ to attentive listeners; palm-leaf manuscripts, ritual implements, and a calm, authoritative setting convey doubt being dispelled.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is to be practiced with clarity and firmness; true injunctions dispel confusion and steady the mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified in this verse; it introduces a ‘divine procedure’ within the chapter’s teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It functions as a transition verse announcing a ‘mahā-divya vidhāna’ to be explained next, emphasizing its doubt-destroying authority.