Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कपर्द्दिनं श्रिया युक्तं वेदांगानां च दुर्गमम् । तथाविधं समालोक्य ब्रह्म क्षोभपरोऽभवत्

Transliteration

kaparddinaṃ śriyā yuktaṃ vedāṃgānāṃ ca durgamam | tathāvidhaṃ samālokya brahma kṣobhaparo'bhavat

Translation

ജടാധാരിയായ പ്രഭുവിനെ—ദിവ്യശ്രീയാൽ യുക്തനും വേദാംഗങ്ങൾക്കും അഗമ്യനുമായ—അങ്ങനെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് അന്തർഹൃദയം വിറച്ചു।

Word by Word

• कपर्द्दिनम्: Kapardin (Śiva, with matted hair)
• कपर्द्दिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपर्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• श्रिया: with splendor/fortune
• श्रिया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• युक्तम्: endowed, joined
• युक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कपर्द्दिनम् इति विशेषणम्)

• वेदाङ्गानाम्: of the Vedāṅgas
• वेदाङ्गानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य अङ्गानि)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• दुर्गमम्: hard to approach/understand
• दुर्गमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कपर्द्दिनम् इति विशेषणम्)

• तथाविधम्: such as that, of that kind
• तथाविधम्: Karma (Object as ‘such a one’/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (तथा विधः)

• समालोक्य: having looked at, observing
• समालोक्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + √लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• क्षोभपरः: agitated, inclined to agitation
• क्षोभपरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्षोभे परः/क्षोभपरायणः)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition, implied in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā beholds Kapardin Śiva, blazing with splendor; the very sciences of the Veda seem to fall silent; Brahmā trembles inwardly before the unfathomable.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Kapardin)
• Brahmā
• Veda
• Vedāṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme (Śiva) transcends even Vedic learning; true approach requires humility and devotion rather than mere scholarship.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra sacred region), though this verse highlights Śiva’s transcendence rather than a particular tīrtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it sets the devotional mood leading into Brahmā’s stuti (hymn of praise).