Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

नांदीमुखं मण्डपस्थापनं च तथा चैतत्कुरु धर्मेण युक्तम् । महानदीसंगमं वर्जयित्वा कुर्वंति केचिद्वेदमनीषिणश्च

Transliteration

nāṃdīmukhaṃ maṇḍapasthāpanaṃ ca tathā caitatkuru dharmeṇa yuktam | mahānadīsaṃgamaṃ varjayitvā kurvaṃti kecidvedamanīṣiṇaśca

Translation

จงประกอบพิธีนานทิมุขะ และตั้งมณฑปด้วย—กระทำทั้งหมดให้ประกอบด้วยธรรมะ. แต่บางคน แม้รอบรู้พระเวท ก็ยังทำพิธีเหล่านี้โดยหลีกเลี่ยงสังฆมแห่งมหานทีทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• नांदीमुखम्: the nāndīmukha rite/ceremony
• नांदीमुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नांदीमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—नांदी + मुख (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/निर्देशार्थः)

• मण्डपस्थापनम्: erection/setting up of the pavilion
• मण्डपस्थापनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप + स्थापना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—मण्डपस्य स्थापना (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कुरु: do (you)
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मेण: with righteousness/according to dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• युक्तम्: proper/appropriate, joined with
• युक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त; युज् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-विशेषण (past passive participle)

• महानदीसंगमम्: the confluence of a great river
• महानदीसंगमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानदी + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—महानद्याः संगमः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• वर्जयित्वा: having avoided/excluding
• वर्जयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• कुर्वन्ति: they do
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (some)

• वेदमनीषिणः: learned in the Veda
• वेदमनीषिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समासः—वेदे मनीषा यस्य/वेदविषये मनीषी (तत्पुरुषः)

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

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (with implied saṅgama-prādhānya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages and officiants prepare a ritual pavilion; a river confluence is visible in the distance, suggesting the neglected saṅgama; the mood is admonitory yet serene.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śiva (addressed as Śambhu in adjacent verses)
• Nāndīmukha
• Maṇḍapa
• Mahānadī-saṅgama (confluence of great rivers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual correctness is not merely technical—true auspiciousness arises when rites are performed in harmony with dharma and sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While the chapter is within Kedāra’s sacred frame, the verse also references the wider sanctity of mahānadī-saṅgamas (major river confluences) as potent ritual locales.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Nāndīmukha and maṇḍapa-sthāpana as dharma requires; the verse critiques avoiding major river confluences when undertaking such rites.