Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अहो विमोहितस्तेन प्रतिरूपेण भास्वता । तथा विष्णुः कृतस्तेन शंखचक्रगदादिभृत्

Transliteration

aho vimohitastena pratirūpeṇa bhāsvatā | tathā viṣṇuḥ kṛtastena śaṃkhacakragadādibhṛt

Translation

അയ്യോ! ആ ദീപ്തമായ പ്രതിരൂപം കൊണ്ടു നീ മോഹിതനായി; അതുപോലെ അവൻ വിഷ്ണുവിനെയും ശംഖം-ചക്രം-ഗദ മുതലായവ ധരിച്ച രൂപത്തിൽ ആക്കി।

Word by Word

• aho: alas!/ah!
• aho: Bhāva (Exclamatory particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विस्मयादिबोधक निपात) — exclamation

• vimohitaḥ: deluded
• vimohitaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-muh (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘deluded’

• tena: by him
• tena: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by him/with that’

• pratirūpeṇa: by a counterfeit form
• pratirūpeṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati-rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by a counterfeit form/semblance’

• bhāsvatā: shining
• bhāsvatā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāsvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘shining’ (विशेषण, qualifying pratirūpeṇa)

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Prakāra (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक) — ‘thus/likewise’

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject in passive clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kṛtaḥ: was made
• kṛtaḥ: Kriyā (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृत (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘was made’

• tena: by him
• tena: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by him’

• śaṃkha-cakra-gadā-ādi-bhṛt: bearing conch, discus, mace, etc.
• śaṃkha-cakra-gadā-ādi-bhṛt: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṃkha + cakra + gadā + ādi + bhṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘bearing conch, discus, mace, etc.’ (विशेषण of viṣṇuḥ)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada describes a radiant counterfeit that bewilders Indra; simultaneously, a false Viṣṇu-form appears—brilliant, holding conch, discus, mace—yet subtly uncanny, signaling deception.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Viṣṇu
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External brilliance can mislead; truth is known by discernment, not mere appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it supports the larger Kedārakhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.