Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । लिंगस्य मस्तकं देवा दृष्टवानहमद्भुतम् । समीचीनं चार्तितं च केतकीदल संयुतम्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | liṃgasya mastakaṃ devā dṛṣṭavānahamadbhutam | samīcīnaṃ cārtitaṃ ca ketakīdala saṃyutam

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദേവന്മാരേ, ഞാൻ ലിംഗത്തിന്റെ അത്ഭുതകരമായ മസ്തകം കണ്ടു; അത് സുസംഘടിതവും ശോഭാമയവും കേതകീദളങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കൃതവുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• मस्तकम्: head, top
• मस्तकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• देवाः: O gods
• देवाः: Sambodhyāḥ/Addressed (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• दृष्टवान्: (I) have seen
• दृष्टवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्तवत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (agentive)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful
• अद्भुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (मस्तकम्)

• समीचीनम्: proper, fitting
• समीचीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीचीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (मस्तकम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आर्तितम्: afflicted/tormented (as described)
• आर्तितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्तित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (मस्तकम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• केतकीदलसंयुतम्: joined with ketakī petals
• केतकीदलसंयुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केतकी-दल (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (instrumental sense: 'with ketakī petals'); विशेषण (मस्तकम्)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devatās (addressed as ‘deva’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā addresses the assembled devas, describing the wondrous ‘head’ of the liṅga—well-formed, auspicious, and adorned with ketakī petals—suggesting a luminous summit-like vision in a Himalayan sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Liṅga (Śiva)
• Ketakī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Claiming spiritual attainment falsely is a serious adharma; divine matters demand strict truthfulness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the contextual sacred region; the Liṅga’s marvel underpins the place’s Shaiva Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; ketakī is referenced as an adornment, not as a prescribed offering here.