Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तथापि मम वाक्येन वाहनं त्वं भविष्यसि । शङ्खचक्रगदापाणेर्वहतोऽपि जगत्त्रयम्

Transliteration

tathāpi mama vākyena vāhanaṃ tvaṃ bhaviṣyasi | śaṅkhacakragadāpāṇervahato'pi jagattrayam

Translation

Dennoch wirst du durch mein Wort wahrlich sein Reittier werden: dessen Hände Muschel, Diskus und Keule tragen, und der selbst die drei Welten trägt.

Word by Word

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चयः; विरोध/अपवादार्थक (nevertheless)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वाक्येन: by (my) word/command
• वाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• वाहनम्: vehicle, mount
• वाहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future/लृट्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शङ्खचक्रगदापाणेः: of him whose hand bears conch, discus, and mace (Viṣṇu)
• शङ्खचक्रगदापाणेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (शङ्ख-चक्र-गदा यस्य पाणौ सः = whose hand holds conch, discus, mace)

• वहतः: while carrying / of (him) carrying
• वहतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘carrying’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• जगत्त्रयम्: the three worlds
• जगत्त्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (three worlds)

Speaker

Śrī Maheśa (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A boon is pronounced: despite the cosmic paradox, the recipient will become the mount of Viṣṇu, whose hands hold conch, discus, and mace; the Lord is envisioned bearing the three worlds even as he is borne.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu (Śaṅkhacakragadāpāṇi)
• Garuḍa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s decree overrides apparent impossibility; divine authority fulfills what devotion seeks.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a boon-bestowal episode within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on the efficacy of the deity’s word and the granting of a boon.