Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

प्रहस्योवाच सा चंडी भूतानां तत्र श्रृण्वताम् । शंभोरुद्वहनार्थाय प्रेतारूढा व्रजाम्यहम्

Transliteration

prahasyovāca sā caṃḍī bhūtānāṃ tatra śrṛṇvatām | śaṃbhorudvahanārthāya pretārūḍhā vrajāmyaham

Translation

พระจัณฑีทรงแย้มสรวลแล้วตรัส—ขณะเหล่าภูต ณ ที่นั้นกำลังสดับอยู่—“เพื่อพิธีอุทวหันแห่งพระศัมภู เราจักออกไปโดยประทับเหนือเปรต”

Word by Word

• प्रहस्य: having laughed
• प्रहस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund); ‘having laughed’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• चण्डी: Caṇḍī
• चण्डी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भूतानाम्: of the bhūtas
• भूतानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• शृण्वताम्: while (they) were listening
• शृण्वताम्: Sati-saptami/Genitive-absolute (Circumstantial/अधिकरणभाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (genitive absolute: ‘while (they) were listening’)

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• उद्वहनार्थाय: for the purpose of carrying (him) up
• उद्वहनार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् + वहन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; ‘उद्वहनस्य अर्थः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• प्रेतारूढा: mounted on a ghost
• प्रेतारूढा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘प्रेते आरूढा’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (mounted on a preta)

• व्रजामि: I go
• व्रजामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Caṇḍī (direct speech within Sūta’s narration; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Caṇḍī smiles serenely while declaring her mission; she rides a preta like a mount, moving in a purposeful ritual procession meant for Śambhu’s ceremonial honor; bhūtas listen in rapt attention.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍī
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Bhūtas
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to Śiva (Śambhu) is portrayed as a sacred duty that sanctifies even fearsome symbols, turning them into instruments of divine purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedāranātha, in the Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s celebration of Śiva’s presence and rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescriptive rite; it references Śiva’s udvahana (ceremonial conveyance/procession) as a sacred act.