Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 178

Devanagari script

तस्माज्जानीहि मन्मित्रं नंदिनं भक्तवत्सल

Transliteration

tasmājjānīhi manmitraṃ naṃdinaṃ bhaktavatsala

Translation

“Maka, wahai Pengasih para bhakta, kenalilah Nandin—sahabatku.”

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• जानिहि: know/recognize
• जानिहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मत्-मित्रम्: my friend
• मत्-मित्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (युष्मद्/अस्मद्-सम्बद्ध सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive: 'my friend'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नन्दिनम्: Nandin
• नन्दिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भक्तवत्सल: O lover of devotees
• भक्तवत्सल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्सल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (sense: 'affectionate to devotees'), पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Kirāta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara (Mahādeva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Kirāta, earnest and protective, requests Śiva to recognize Nandin as his friend; the focus is on compassionate acknowledgment rather than ritual objects.

Characters & Entities

• Nandin
• Bhaktavatsala (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Those dear to devotees are brought into divine attention; Śiva is portrayed as especially tender toward bhaktas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, framed as a place where devotees gain direct acknowledgment from Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a request for recognition of a devotee.