Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अत्रैव च किमस्माकं रुद्रेणापि प्रयोजनम् । कन्या दत्ता मया विप्रा ब्रह्मणा नोदितेन हि

Transliteration

atraiva ca kimasmākaṃ rudreṇāpi prayojanam | kanyā dattā mayā viprā brahmaṇā noditena hi

Translation

แล้ว ณ ที่นี่เอง เราจะต้องมีพระรุทราไปเพื่อสิ่งใด? โอ้พราหมณ์ทั้งหลาย ข้าพเจ้าได้มอบกุมารีแล้ว—แท้จริงตามคำชี้นำของพระพรหม

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: 'here')

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (nom./acc.), एकवचनम्; अत्र अर्थे 'what (need/use)?'

• अस्माकम्: of us/for us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (genitive, 6th), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• रुद्रेण: with Rudra
• रुद्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental, 3rd), एकवचनम्

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: 'also/even')

• प्रयोजनम्: purpose/need
• प्रयोजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative, 1st), एकवचनम्; किम् इत्यस्य उत्तरपदम् (idiom: 'what use/need?')

• कन्या: the maiden/daughter
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दत्ता: has been given
• दत्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle used predicatively), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कन्या इति कर्तृपदेन सह

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental, 3rd), एकवचनम्

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (vocative/nominative), बहुवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे (addressing)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• नोदितेन: prompted/urged
• नोदितेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-उद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ब्रह्मणा इति विशेष्यस्य अन्वयः; अर्थः 'prompted/commanded'

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle giving emphasis/reason: 'indeed/for')

Speaker

Same hostile/obstructive figure in the narrative (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ) within the scene; broader audience of ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker (likely a deva/authority figure) addresses brāhmaṇas with a challenging claim—‘what need of Rudra?’—while the assembly reacts; the atmosphere is tense, foreshadowing Śiva’s decisive intervention.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It illustrates pride and exclusion in sacred affairs—an attitude Purāṇic narratives typically critique through ensuing consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra remains the narrative background; the episode contributes to the larger Mahātmya by framing divine presence and its importance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it references a kanyā-dāna (giving of a maiden) occurring within a larger sacred context.