Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सर्वं तदा द्विधाभूतं दृष्टं तेन महात्मना । नारदेन तदा विप्राः परमेण निरीक्षितः

Transliteration

sarvaṃ tadā dvidhābhūtaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ tena mahātmanā | nāradena tadā viprāḥ parameṇa nirīkṣitaḥ

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രന്മാരേ! അപ്പോൾ മഹാത്മാവ് നാരദൻ പരമ വിശേഷ ദർശനത്തോടെ നോക്കിയപ്പോൾ, എല്ലാം രണ്ടായി വിഭജിച്ചതുപോലെ ദൃശ്യമായി।

Word by Word

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• द्विधाभूतम्: having become twofold
• द्विधाभूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विधा (अव्यय) + भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (become twofold)

• दृष्टम्: was seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (it) seen

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of him/Nārada)

• नारदेन: by Nārada
• नारदेन: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा (addressing)

• परमेण: by the supreme (power/being)
• परमेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (instrumental: by the supreme)

• निरीक्षितः: was observed; beheld
• निरीक्षितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + ईक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (he) observed/seen

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deductive)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (visionary field)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (addressed explicitly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, radiant and composed, beholds the Kedāra landscape as if duplicated: mountains, groves, waters, and sky appear in two layers—like a sacred mirage revealing parallel orders of reality.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity can reveal hidden layers of reality; higher perception arises in proximity to divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra kṣetra (Kedāranātha) as presented in the Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes Nārada’s extraordinary observation.