Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

निरुद्धभुवनाभोगो ववृधे विंध्यपर्वतः । तदा प्राणिषु सर्वेषु निरुच्छ्वासेषु देवताः

Transliteration

niruddhabhuvanābhogo vavṛdhe viṃdhyaparvataḥ | tadā prāṇiṣu sarveṣu nirucchvāseṣu devatāḥ

Translation

Der Vindhya-Berg wuchs so gewaltig, dass er die Weite der Welten versperrte; als daraufhin allen Wesen der Atem ausging, gerieten die Götter in Sorge und suchten Abhilfe.

Word by Word

• निरुद्धभुवनाभोगः: whose world-expanse was blocked
• निरुद्धभुवनाभोगः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरुद्ध (√रुध्, कृदन्त) + भुवन (प्रातिपदिक) + आभोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य भुवनानाम् आभोगः निरुद्धः सः (whose expansion of worlds was obstructed)

• ववृधे: grew, increased
• ववृधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विन्ध्यपर्वतः: the Vindhya mountain
• विन्ध्यपर्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—विन्ध्यः पर्वतः (the Vindhya mountain)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then)

• प्राणिषु: among living beings
• प्राणिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• निरुच्छ्वासेषु: in those without breath
• निरुच्छ्वासेषु: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्-उच्छ्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; 'प्राणिषु' इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (in breathless ones)

• देवताः: the deities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vindhya rises like a colossal wall, darkening horizons; birds and beings gasp as air thins. Devas gather in the sky with anxious faces, hands raised in appeal, as the world’s pathways are blocked.

Characters & Entities

• Vindhya
• Devatās (gods)
• All beings (prāṇis)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked pride and imbalance in nature threaten all life; dharma requires restoring proportion and harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the mythic background for Agasti-related tīrthas by narrating the Vindhya episode that prompts Agastya’s intervention.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative context (kathā) establishing the need for the sage’s action.