Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तद्वचः शिरसा गृह्य ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । केतकीसहिता तत्र सुरभी तदमानयत्

Transliteration

tadvacaḥ śirasā gṛhya brahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ | ketakīsahitā tatra surabhī tadamānayat

Translation

പരമേഷ്ഠി ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ ആ വാക്കുകൾ ശിരസ്സുനമിച്ച് സ്വീകരിച്ച്, സുരഭി അവിടെ കേതകിയെയും കൂടെ കൂട്ടി (ആജ്ഞപ്രകാരം) കൊണ്ടുവന്നു.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object of ‘gṛhya’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘तत्’

• vacaḥ: word, statement
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana/vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘वचः’ = word/speech

• śirasā: with (his) head
• śirasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘शिरसा’ = with the head (as gesture of acceptance)

• gṛhya: having accepted
• gṛhya: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु) → gṛhya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive), ‘गृह्य’ = having taken/accepted

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• parameṣṭhinaḥ: of the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• parameṣṭhinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parameṣṭhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; उपाधि/विशेष्य (epithet of Brahmā)

• ketakī-sahitā: accompanied by Ketakī
• ketakī-sahitā: Karta (Qualifier of ‘surabhī’/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ketakī (प्रातिपदिक) + sahita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—केतक्या सहिताः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: there)

• surabhī: Surabhī (the divine cow)
• surabhī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surabhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• amānayat: brought
• amānayat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + nī (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः—आ

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the Skanda Purāṇa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Surabhī, the divine cow, bows her head in acceptance of Brahmā’s command and leads Ketakī toward the divine assembly; the atmosphere is solemn, as if fate is being sealed.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)
• Surabhī
• Ketakī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Submission to improper counsel leads to shared moral burden; one should refuse participation in adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the contextual sacred landscape; the story magnifies the divine presence that ultimately judges truth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.