Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तं श्रुत्वा कौतुकाद्देवी किमेतदिति शंकरम् । पर्यपृच्छच्छुभतनूर्हरं विस्मयपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

taṃ śrutvā kautukāddevī kimetaditi śaṃkaram | paryapṛcchacchubhatanūrharaṃ vismayapūrvakam

Translation

اس آواز کو سن کر دیوی نے تجسّس سے شنکر سے پوچھا، “یہ کیا ہے؟” نیک اندام دیوی نے حیرت کے ساتھ ہَر سے سوال کیا۔

Word by Word

• तम्: that (sound)
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (त्वा-प्रत्यय) — gerund/absolutive ‘having heard’

• कौतुकात्: out of curiosity
• कौतुकात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative singular; हेत्वर्थे (cause)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Interrogative pronoun; here as predicate ‘what?’

• एतत्: is this
• एतत्: Prashna (Interrogative complement/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘this’ (predicate with किम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक) — quotative particle

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• पर्यपृच्छत्: asked
• पर्यपृच्छत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• शुभतनूः: the fair-bodied (one)
• शुभतनूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ-तनु (प्रातिपदिक; शुभ + तनु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular; देवी का विशेषणरूपेण

• हरम्: Hara
• हरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• विस्मयपूर्वकम्: in astonishment
• विस्मयपूर्वकम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास, अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverbial compound ‘with astonishment as prior/with astonishment’

Speaker

Narrator (reporting Devī’s question)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī turns toward Śaṅkara with widened, wonder-filled eyes; her gesture is inquisitive yet reverent. The sky behind them still trembles with the lingering resonance.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śaṅkara
• Hara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry opens the way for revelation; even divine mysteries are unfolded through question and response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Mount Mandara; the verse itself is dialogic rather than tīrtha-focused.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it initiates a question in the narrative.