Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28
Devanagari script
तं श्रुत्वा कौतुकाद्देवी किमेतदिति शंकरम् । पर्यपृच्छच्छुभतनूर्हरं विस्मयपूर्वकम्
Transliteration
taṃ śrutvā kautukāddevī kimetaditi śaṃkaram | paryapṛcchacchubhatanūrharaṃ vismayapūrvakam
Translation
ତାହା ଶୁଣି କୌତୁହଳରେ ଦେବୀ ଶଙ୍କରଙ୍କୁ ‘ଏହା କ’ଣ?’ ବୋଲି ପଚାରିଲେ; ଶୁଭତନୁ ଦେବୀ ବିସ୍ମୟପୂର୍ବକ ହରଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ କଲେ।
Word by Word
तम्that (sound)
तम्:
Karman (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular
श्रुत्वाhaving heard
श्रुत्वा:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (त्वा-प्रत्यय) — gerund/absolutive ‘having heard’
कौतुकात्out of curiosity
कौतुकात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootकौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative singular; हेत्वर्थे (cause)
देवीthe Goddess
देवी:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular
किम्what
किम्:
Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Interrogative pronoun; here as predicate ‘what?’
एतत्is this
एतत्:
Prashna (Interrogative complement/प्रश्न)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘this’ (predicate with किम्)
इतिthus
इति:
Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक) — quotative particle
शंकरम्Śaṅkara
शंकरम्:
Karman (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootशंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular
पर्यपृच्छत्asked
पर्यपृच्छत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्रच्छ् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग)
Formलङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद
शुभतनूःthe fair-bodied (one)
शुभतनूः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशुभ-तनु (प्रातिपदिक; शुभ + तनु)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular; देवी का विशेषणरूपेण
हरम्Hara
हरम्:
Karman (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootहर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular
विस्मयपूर्वकम्in astonishment
विस्मयपूर्वकम्:
Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभावसमास, अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverbial compound ‘with astonishment as prior/with astonishment’
Speaker
Narrator (reporting Devī’s question)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Devī turns toward Śaṅkara with widened, wonder-filled eyes; her gesture is inquisitive yet reverent. The sky behind them still trembles with the lingering resonance.
Characters & Entities
D
DevīŚ
ŚaṅkaraH
HaraFAQs
Reverent inquiry opens the way for revelation; even divine mysteries are unfolded through question and response.
The setting remains Mount Mandara; the verse itself is dialogic rather than tīrtha-focused.
None; it initiates a question in the narrative.