Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 136

Devanagari script

निरीक्षणार्थं दुष्टस्य तत्कार्यं विदधाम्यहम् । एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं नन्दी तस्य पुरोधसः

Transliteration

nirīkṣaṇārthaṃ duṣṭasya tatkāryaṃ vidadhāmyaham | etacchrutvā tu vacanaṃ nandī tasya purodhasaḥ

Translation

“เพื่อสังเกตและทดสอบคนชั่วผู้นั้น เราจักกระทำกิจนั้นด้วยตนเอง” ครั้นนันทิได้สดับวาจาของปุโรหิตนั้น…

Word by Word

• निरीक्षणार्थम्: for the purpose of observing/inspecting
• निरीक्षणार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरीक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘निरीक्षणस्य अर्थः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; adverbial accusative: “for the purpose of”

• दुष्टस्य: of the wicked man
• दुष्टस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कार्यं’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; demonstrative “that”

• कार्यं: deed/act
• कार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विदधामि: I perform/arrange
• विदधामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) उपसर्गः वि-
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष? (न) — उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: धा (to place/do) with वि-: “to arrange/perform”

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वचनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), “having heard”

• तु: but/then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), adversative/contrastive

• वचनम्: speech/statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नन्दी: Nandin
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पुरोधसः’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः

• पुरोधसः: the priest
• पुरोधसः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (पुरोधसम् इत्यर्थे वैदिक/छान्दस-रूप); “priest”

Speaker

Nandin (first sentence), then narrative continuation (within Sūta’s narration to the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Himalayan Śiva precinct, Nandin hears the priest’s resolve to ‘test the wicked man’; the mood is vigilant, anticipatory, and judicial.

Characters & Entities

• Nandin
• Purohita
• Duṣṭa (unnamed wicked person)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Safeguarding sacred worship requires alert discernment; adharma is confronted through careful observation and proper action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra Śiva-temple context, where the integrity of worship is treated as paramount.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the focus is on ensuring the worship is not corrupted.