Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

तेनाग्निनापि चोक्तस्तु शंकरो लोकशंकरः । किं मयाद्य महा देव कर्तव्यं देवतावर

Transliteration

tenāgnināpi coktastu śaṃkaro lokaśaṃkaraḥ | kiṃ mayādya mahā deva kartavyaṃ devatāvara

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അഗ്നിയും ലോകമംഗളകാരിയായ ശങ്കരനോടു പറഞ്ഞു— “ഹേ മഹാദേവ, ദേവശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! ഇന്ന് ഞാൻ എന്തു ചെയ്യണം?”

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/agent marker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc./Neut.), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अग्निना: by Agni
• अग्निना: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उक्तः: addressed/spoken to
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject complement in passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (but/indeed)

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• लोकशंकरः: benefactor of the worlds
• लोकशंकरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (common pronoun), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (today/now)

• महा: O great
• महा: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); 'महान्' का सम्बोधन-रूप (irregular vocative)

• देव: O god/lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Karma (Predicate object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; तव्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त — 'to be done/ought to be done'

• देवतावर: O best among the gods
• देवतावर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता-वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); 'श्रेष्ठः देवतानाम्'

Speaker

Agni

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, radiant yet deferential, approaches Śaṅkara with folded hands, asking for today’s duty; Śiva stands as Lokashaṅkara, calm and directive.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Śiva (Śaṅkara, Mahādeva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic powers seek right guidance; dharma is clarified by approaching Śiva with humility and readiness to serve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra remains the contextual holy setting for this divine consultation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct human ritual; Agni’s question frames a forthcoming instruction about his divine duty.