Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

ततोऽवोचन्महातेजा नारदश्चर्षिसत्तमः । ब्रह्माणं पुरतः कृत्वा विष्णुं प्रति सहेतुकम्

Transliteration

tato'vocanmahātejā nāradaścarṣisattamaḥ | brahmāṇaṃ purataḥ kṛtvā viṣṇuṃ prati sahetukam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ മഹാതേജസ്സുള്ള ഋഷിശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ നാരദൻ ബ്രഹ്മാവിനെ മുൻപിൽ നിർത്തി, കാരണസഹിതമായ വാക്കുകളോടെ വിഷ്ണുവിനെ അഭിസംബോധന ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = thereafter/then

• avocan: they said/spoke
• avocan: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘they spoke’

• mahātejāḥ: the very radiant/mighty one
• mahātejāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘greatly radiant/mighty’ (विशेषण)

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction ‘and’

• ṛṣi-sattamaḥ: best of sages
• ṛṣi-sattamaḥ: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘best of sages’

• brahmāṇam: Brahmā
• brahmāṇam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• purataḥ: in front (of)
• purataḥ: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puratas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘in front/before’

• kṛtvā: having made/placing
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having made/placing’

• viṣṇum: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇum: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• prati: towards/to
• prati: Sambandha (Relational marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग-निपात; here preposition) — ‘towards/with regard to’

• sa-hetukam: with a reason/with justification
• sa-hetukam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘with reason/cause’ (विशेषण, agreeing with implied ‘vākyaṃ’/speech)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) introducing Nārada’s speech

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial court scene: Nārada, radiant and composed, steps forward; Brahmā is placed at the front as a formal witness; Nārada turns to address Viṣṇu with measured, reasoned words while devas look on.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right understanding is conveyed through wise, reasoned speech offered in a proper assembly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa context frames the Kedāra-region sanctity; this verse is transitional and does not name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a doctrinal/narrative explanation.