Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । हेमन्तश्च भवेद्विष्णुर्विश्वरूपं चराचरम् । पालनाय जगत्सर्वं विष्णोर्माहात्म्यमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | hemantaśca bhavedviṣṇurviśvarūpaṃ carācaram | pālanāya jagatsarvaṃ viṣṇormāhātmyamuttamam

Translation

Viṣṇu sprach: „In der Jahreszeit Hemanta (früher Winter) werde ich, Viṣṇu, zur kosmischen Gestalt, die alles Bewegte und Unbewegte durchdringt. Zum Schutz und zur Erhaltung der ganzen Welt — dies ist Viṣṇus höchste Herrlichkeit.“

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• हेमन्तः: winter (season)
• हेमन्तः: Pratijñā/Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• भवेत्: would be/is to be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विश्व-रूपम्: universal-formed
• विश्व-रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• चर-अचरम्: the moving and the unmoving (all beings)
• चर-अचरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्व)

• पालनाय: for protection
• पालनाय: Sampradana/Purpose (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karta/Topic (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) → माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tapasvinī / Mahāvratā (ascetic lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu speaks as hemanta: cool clarity, harvested fields, steady rivers; his form expands into viśvarūpa encompassing beings—animals, trees, pilgrims, and the river landscape—signifying protection.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Hemanta
• Viśvarūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity pervades time itself: Viṣṇu is presented as the sustaining power manifesting through the season of Hemanta for the world’s protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā region); the immediate verse emphasizes cosmic theology rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed in this verse; it provides a doctrinal framing of Viṣṇu’s protective function.