Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

लिंगस्य मस्तको देवाः केतकीदलपूजितः । तदा नभोगता वाणी सर्वेषां श्रृण्वतामभूत्

Transliteration

liṃgasya mastako devāḥ ketakīdalapūjitaḥ | tadā nabhogatā vāṇī sarveṣāṃ śrṛṇvatāmabhūt

Translation

«О боги, вершина Лингама была почтена лепестками Кетаки». И тут же раздался голос, несущийся по небу, когда все внимали.

Word by Word

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मस्तकः: the head/top
• मस्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• केतकी-दल-पूजितः: worshipped with ketakī petals
• केतकी-दल-पूजितः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केतकी (प्रातिपदिक) + दल (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजित (कृदन्त; √पूज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण (मस्तकः इति)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• नभोगता: gone into the sky; sky-borne
• नभोगता: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण (वाणी इति)

• वाणी: a voice
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• शृण्वताम्: of (those) listening
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) → शृण्वत् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), ‘hearing’ (present participle)

• अभूत्: arose; became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating; the 'sky-voice' is an unseen divine proclamation

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣis/śaunaka-style assembly typical of Purāṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A towering, radiant liṅga like a limitless pillar; devas gathered in reverence; Ketakī petals placed at the ‘summit’; a disembodied celestial voice (ākāśavāṇī) ripples across the sky as all pause to listen.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Ketakī
• Devas
• Divine voice (Ākāśavāṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine truth ultimately reveals itself; ritual claims cannot stand against reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sacred narrative space is implied; the verse centers on the cosmic liṅga episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references worship with Ketakī petals (as part of the narrative that leads to later prohibition).