Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

तस्माद्विमृश्य तेनैव ज्ञातव्यः श्रवणेन च । मंतव्यः सुप्रयोगेण मननेन विशेषतः

Transliteration

tasmādvimṛśya tenaiva jñātavyaḥ śravaṇena ca | maṃtavyaḥ suprayogeṇa mananena viśeṣataḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് സമ്യക് വിചാരിച്ച് അതേ തത്ത്വം ശ്രവണത്തിലൂടെ അറിയണം. യുക്തമായ ഉപായപ്രയോഗത്തോടെ, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഗാഢമായ മനനത്തിലൂടെ, അതിനെ ദൃഢമായി ധ്യാനിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (तस्मात् इति तस्मिन् अर्थे ‘therefore/from that’), तद्धित/विभक्ति-निष्पन्नम् (ablatival adverb)

• विमृश्य: having reflected
• विमृश्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√मृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having reflected/considered’

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (निपात)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• ज्ञातव्यः: should be known
• ज्ञातव्यः: Kārya/Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृत्य (gerundive/obligation), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘to be known/should be known’

• श्रवणेन: by hearing
• श्रवणेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

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

• मन्तव्यः: should be contemplated
• मन्तव्यः: Kārya/Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृत्य (gerundive/obligation), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘to be contemplated/should be thought’

• सुप्रयोगेण: by proper practice/application
• सुप्रयोगेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + प्रयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सु+प्रयोगः = उत्तमः प्रयोगः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• मननेन: by reflection
• मननेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (तद्धितान्त-क्रियाविशेषण), ‘especially/in particular’

Speaker

Śaṃkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan hermitage near Kedāra: a teacher instructs a seeker; the seeker listens, then sits in contemplation, with snow peaks and a distant Śiva shrine suggesting the pilgrimage setting.

Characters & Entities

• Śravaṇa
• Manana
• That (tad/brahman implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Realization is cultivated through śravaṇa (hearing) and manana (reflective contemplation) with proper practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa provides the sacred Himalayan context; the verse itself teaches sādhanā rather than a site’s phala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A mental discipline is prescribed: attentive hearing and sustained reflection (śravaṇa–manana).