Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

गर्गो मुनिश्चोपविष्टस्तत्रैव घटिकालये । यावत्पूर्णा घटी जाता तावत्प्रणवभाषणम्

Transliteration

gargo muniścopaviṣṭastatraiva ghaṭikālaye | yāvatpūrṇā ghaṭī jātā tāvatpraṇavabhāṣaṇam

Translation

Мудрец Гарга сидел там, в месте отсчёта времени; пока не исполнилась одна гхати, продолжалось произнесение Пранавы — священного «Ом».

Word by Word

• gargaḥ: Garga
• gargaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• muniḥ: the sage
• muniḥ: Karta (Appositive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• upaviṣṭaḥ: sat down/was seated
• upaviṣṭaḥ: Kriyā (State/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-viś (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• ghaṭikālaye: in the time-keeper/clock-house (water-clock place)
• ghaṭikālaye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṭikā (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ghaṭikāyāḥ ālayaḥ)

• yāvat: until/as long as
• yāvat: Kāla (Time limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (correlative: 'as long as/until')

• pūrṇā: full/complete
• pūrṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ghaṭī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ghaṭī: a ghaṭī (time-unit)
• ghaṭī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṭī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• jātā: came to be/elapsed
• jātā: Kriyā (State/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle used predicatively); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tāvat: for that long
• tāvat: Kāla (Duration)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (correlative: 'so long/that long')

• praṇava-bhāṣaṇam: recitation/utterance of the praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava-bhāṣaṇam: Karta (Subject/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: praṇavasya bhāṣaṇam)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Garga sits in the ghaṭikālaya beside a water-clock; as the vessel marks the passing ghaṭī, attendants continue steady praṇava recitation, creating a cocoon of sacred sound until the moment is complete.

Characters & Entities

• Garga (sage)
• Ghaṭikālaya
• Ghaṭī
• Praṇava (Oṃ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady remembrance of Oṃ anchors the mind while sacred actions await the proper moment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s ritual arena, portrayed with formal timekeeping and mantra discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Timing rites by ghaṭī (water-clock measure) and sustaining praṇava-japa until the appointed time.