Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

कस्माद्विभेपि रे मन्द देवदेवो महेस्वरः । प्रसन्नस्तव जातोद्य उदारचरितो ह्यसौ

Transliteration

kasmādvibhepi re manda devadevo mahesvaraḥ | prasannastava jātodya udāracarito hyasau

Translation

“എ മന്ദബുദ്ധിയേ! നീ എന്തിന് ഭയപ്പെടുന്നു? ദേവദേവനായ മഹേശ്വരൻ ഇന്ന് നിന്നിൽ പ്രസന്നനായിരിക്കുന്നു; അവൻ സത്യത്തിൽ ഉദാരചരിതനാണ്.”

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: from what (cause)/why
• कस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause-source/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (from what/why)

• विभेपि: do you fear
• विभेपि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (परस्मैपद, present); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• रे: O!
• रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रे (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• मन्द: fool/slow one
• मन्द: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण सम्बोधन

• देवदेवः: the god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (“god of gods”)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (“great lord”)

• प्रसन्नः: pleased
• प्रसन्नः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from सद्/सद्-धातु in sense ‘to be clear/pleased’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying Maheśvara)

• तव: toward you/for you
• तव: Sampradana/Sambandha (Beneficiary relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (genitive: ‘of you/for you’)

• जातः: has become
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate as participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has become’

• उद्य: today/now
• उद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• उदारचरितः: noble-conducted
• उदारचरितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदार (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from चर्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (“noble in conduct”)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• असौ: he (that one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (demonstrative)

Speaker

Vīrabhadra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-kṣetra (Kailāsa/Kedāra frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vīrabhadra addresses the trembling thief, his stern visage softened by reassurance; behind him, gaṇas stand calm, and the liṅga radiates steady auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• deva-deva (God of gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s mercy can overcome a person’s past; fear dissolves when one recognizes the Lord’s gracious nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s Kedāra sacred setting, emphasizing the liṅga’s protective and compassionate power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse offers a doctrinal reassurance about Śiva’s prasāda (favor).