Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

न तद्भासयते शब्दः कृतकत्वाद्यथा घटः । शब्दो हि जायते धर्म्मः प्रवृत्तिपरमो यतः

Transliteration

na tadbhāsayate śabdaḥ kṛtakatvādyathā ghaṭaḥ | śabdo hi jāyate dharmmaḥ pravṛttiparamo yataḥ

Translation

Kata-kata (sekadar ungkapan lisan) tidak menerangi Yang Tertinggi itu, kerana ia sesuatu yang dihasilkan—seperti tempayan. Bunyi/ucapan lahir dalam Dharma sebagai prinsip yang cenderung kepada perbuatan di dunia.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• तत्: that (reality)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘भासयते’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• भासयते: illuminates; makes manifest
• भासयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भास् (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; णिजन्त—‘causes to shine/illuminates’

• शब्दः: word; sound
• शब्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृतकत्वात्: because of being made/constructed
• कृतकत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृतकत्व (प्रातिपदिक; कृतक + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause): ‘because of being artificial/produced’

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• घटः: a pot
• घटः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शब्दः: sound/word
• शब्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• जायते: is born; arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• धर्मः: a property; characteristic
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय/सम्बन्ध—‘धर्मः’ इति विशेषणवत् (appositional)

• प्रवृत्तिपरमः: having activity as its basis; oriented to action
• प्रवृत्तिपरमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्ति-परम (प्रातिपदिक; प्रवृत्ति + परम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘प्रवृत्तिः परमा यस्य’ (प्रवृत्तिनिष्ठः/प्रवृत्तिमूलः)

• यतः: since; because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal particle: ‘since/because’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A potter’s wheel with a freshly made pot symbolizes kṛtakatva; beside it, a sage gestures toward a vast, formless light beyond the temple—indicating that words are crafted tools, not the Reality. A scroll of text fades into silence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is beyond verbal formulation; language belongs to the realm of constructed, action-oriented experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The insight is taught in Kedārakhaṇḍa, reinforcing Kedāra as a place where seekers pursue the word-transcending Reality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it relativizes outward formulations and points toward direct realization.