Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

तदा महेशः प्रहसन्सत्यं वाक्यमुवाच ह । न जितोऽहं त्वया तन्वि तत्त्वतो हि विमश्यताम्

Transliteration

tadā maheśaḥ prahasansatyaṃ vākyamuvāca ha | na jito'haṃ tvayā tanvi tattvato hi vimaśyatām

Translation

ครั้นแล้วพระมหีศะทรงแย้มสรวล ตรัสถ้อยคำสัตย์ว่า “โอ้ผู้เพรียวบาง แท้จริงแล้วเจ้ายังมิได้ชนะเราโดยสภาวะ จงพิจารณาความจริงตามแก่นแท้เถิด”

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kālādhi karaṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• महेशः: Maheśa
• महेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु) → प्रहसत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘laughing’

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (वाक्यम्-विशेषण)

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed (narrative)
• ह: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक निपात (narrative particle)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• जितः: defeated
• जितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) → जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (अहं) ‘defeated’

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

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• तन्वि: O slender one
• तन्वि: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• तत्त्वतः: in reality
• तत्त्वतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘in truth/from the reality’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपात (particle: ‘indeed/for’)

• विमश्यताम्: let it be examined
• विमश्यताम्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘let it be considered/examined’ (impersonal/benedictive sense)

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśa) speaking to Pārvatī (within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva smiles gently, raising a hand in a calm instructive gesture (upadeśa-mudrā), eyes half-lidded; Gaurī listens, still playful but attentive; the dice-board remains as a symbol of māyā/play.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beyond appearances of winning and losing lies tattva—ultimate reality; spiritual maturity requires discerning essence over surface outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa context supports Kedāra’s sacred milieu, while this verse directly emphasizes philosophical discernment (tattva-vicāra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the instruction is contemplative—reflect on the truth in essence.