Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

ते संति साक्षिमो देवा अस्मिन्नर्थे वदत्वरम् । अर्थेऽस्मिन्भव साक्षी त्वं केतक्या सह सुव्रते

Transliteration

te saṃti sākṣimo devā asminnarthe vadatvaram | arthe'sminbhava sākṣī tvaṃ ketakyā saha suvrate

Translation

ते देवा अस्मिन्नर्थे साक्षिणः सन्ति; शीघ्रं वदत समर्थयत। अस्मिन्नपि कार्ये त्वं केतक्या सह, सुव्रते, साक्षी भव॥

Word by Word

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• santi: are
• santi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• sākṣimaḥ: witnesses
• sākṣimaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sākṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘साक्षिणः’ इत्यर्थे पुराण-प्रयोगे रूपभेद ‘साक्षिमः’

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘अस्मिन्’

• arthe: matter, affair
• arthe: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• vada: say, speak
• vada: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tvaram: quickly, with haste
• tvaram: Sambandha (Adverbial accusative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (accusative of manner: quickly)

• arthe: in the matter
• arthe: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• bhava: become, be
• bhava: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• sākṣī: a witness
• sākṣī: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sākṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ketakyā: with Ketakī (flower/plant)
• ketakyā: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ketakī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण-सह), एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakari (Accompaniment marker/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (postposition: with)

• suvrate: O virtuous one
• suvrate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—सु + व्रता (कर्मधारय)

Speaker

Brahmā (addressing Surabhī; Ketakī invoked as co-witness)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Surabhī
• Ketakī
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma condemns manufacturing witnesses; truth is not established by numbers but by integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra remains the setting; the episode supports the Shaiva Mahātmya by contrasting human-like schemes with Śiva’s omniscience.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it focuses on testimony and moral responsibility.