Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

उवाच प्रहसन्वाक्यं शूलपाणे नमः प्रभो । हे शंभो श्रृणु मे वाक्यं तत्त्वसारमयं परम्

Transliteration

uvāca prahasanvākyaṃ śūlapāṇe namaḥ prabho | he śaṃbho śrṛṇu me vākyaṃ tattvasāramayaṃ param

Translation

నవ్వుతూ అతడు పలికెను— “హే ప్రభూ శూలపాణీ, నీకు నమస్కారం. హే శంభో, నా మాట వినుము—ఇది పరమ తత్త్వసారంతో నిండినది।”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• प्रहसन्: smiling, laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the speaker)

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• शूलपाणे: O trident-holder
• शूलपाणे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शूलः पाणौ यस्य)

• नमः: salutation, homage
• नमः: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (interjection/particle of salutation)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• हे: O!
• हे: Sambodhana (Address marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हे (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• शंभो: O Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th) एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाक्यम्: statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्त्वसारमयम्: consisting of the essence of truth
• तत्त्वसारमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्व + सार + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; (तत्त्वस्य सारः) + मयः (made of/consisting of)

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Nārada addressing Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Purāṇa (internal: sages/disciples depending on recension)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, smiling, folds hands and addresses Śiva as Śūlapāṇi/Śambhu, initiating a serious yet gentle discourse in a Himalayan sacred grove.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva (Śūlapāṇi/Śambhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True counsel begins with humility and reverence; wisdom is offered as tattva—essential truth—rather than mere opinion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa Himalayan setting is implied as a sanctified arena where sages like Nārada deliver spiritual instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse models devotional salutation (namaḥ) and attentive listening (śravaṇa) as spiritual disciplines.