Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

त्रिविक्रमात्परो ह्यात्मा नाम्ना त्रिविक्रमोऽभवत् । त्रिविक्रमक्रमाक्रांतं त्रैलोक्यं च तदाऽभवत्

Transliteration

trivikramātparo hyātmā nāmnā trivikramo'bhavat | trivikramakramākrāṃtaṃ trailokyaṃ ca tadā'bhavat

Translation

وبسبب الخطوات الثلاث اشتهر الذاتُ الأعلى باسم «تريفكراما»؛ وحينئذٍ أُحيطت العوالم الثلاثة بخطوات تريفكراما.

Word by Word

• trivikramāt: from/than Trivikrama
• trivikramāt: Apadana (Source/Comparison point)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trivikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• paraḥ: higher/superior
• paraḥ: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ātmā)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• ātmā: the Self
• ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• nāmnā: by name
• nāmnā: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन (by name)

• trivikramaḥ: Trivikrama
• trivikramaḥ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trivikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नामधेय (appositional)

• abhavat: became/was
• abhavat: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• trivikrama: of Trivikrama
• trivikrama: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: trivikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• krama: stride/step
• krama: Karana (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• ākrāntam: overstepped/covered
• ākrāntam: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā + kram (धातु) → ākrānta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• trailokyam: the three worlds
• trailokyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• abhavat: became/was
• abhavat: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa per Māheśvara-khaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Trivikrama expands विशाल; one foot planted, the other raised to encompass the worlds; devas gaze upward; the three worlds shown as layered spheres touched by the divine steps.

Characters & Entities

• Trivikrama (Viṣṇu)
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s ‘name’ arises from divine action; cosmic order is upheld through the Supreme’s measured, purposeful steps.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct site is praised; it reinforces the cosmic background that legitimizes sacred waters and tīrthas tied to Viṣṇu’s foot and Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is theological narration.