Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

मया निरीक्ष्यते सम्यक्चित्रयुद्धं महात्मनाम् । अनिभिज्ञोऽस्म्यहं विष्णो कार्याकार्यविचारणे

Transliteration

mayā nirīkṣyate samyakcitrayuddhaṃ mahātmanām | anibhijño'smyahaṃ viṣṇo kāryākāryavicāraṇe

Translation

“เราพินิจดูศึกอัศจรรย์ของมหาบุรุษเหล่านี้อย่างถี่ถ้วนแล้ว แต่โอ้พระวิษณุ เรานั้นยังไม่ชำนาญในการพิจารณาว่าอะไรควรกระทำ และอะไรไม่ควรกระทำ”

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निरीक्ष्यते: is observed/seen
• निरीक्ष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• सम्यक्: properly/well
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• चित्र-युद्धम्: a wondrous battle
• चित्र-युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (चित्रं युद्धम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled ones
• महात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अनभिज्ञः: unknowing/unaware
• अनभिज्ञः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन् (नञ्) + अभिज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समासभाव (not knowing)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

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

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कार्य-अकार्य-विचारणे: in the deliberation of what should and should not be done
• कार्य-अकार्य-विचारणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विचारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (कार्य च अकार्य च) ततः तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्धः विचारणे; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Kumāra (Skanda/Kārttikeya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda speaks with humility: he has watched the wondrous battle of great souls but admits he is not yet adept at judging right and wrong action.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda (Kumāra)
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True strength includes humility—seeking right discernment (viveka) before action is a dharmic ideal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit in this verse; the Kedāra-khaṇḍa context supplies the sacred Himalayan frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.