Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्ततोगस्त्यो विन्ध्याद्रिं स निगृह्य च । पादाक्रमणमात्रेण समीकुर्वन्महीतलम्

Transliteration

evamuktastatogastyo vindhyādriṃ sa nigṛhya ca | pādākramaṇamātreṇa samīkurvanmahītalam

Translation

So angesprochen, zügelte Agastya den Vindhya-Berg; und allein durch das Maß seiner Schritte ebnete er die unebene Erde zur Ebene.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner): "thus"

• उक्तः: having been addressed / spoken to
• उक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya (sage)
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विन्ध्याद्रिम्: the Vindhya mountain
• विन्ध्याद्रिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विन्ध्य + अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विन्ध्यस्य अद्रिः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निगृह्य: having restrained
• निगृह्य: Kriyā (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + ग्रह् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having restrained)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• पादाक्रमणमात्रेण: by mere stepping
• पादाक्रमणमात्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + आक्रमण + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पादस्य आक्रमणम्; तस्य मात्रम्)

• समीकुर्वन्: making level / flattening
• समीकुर्वन्: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ई + कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग

• महीतलम्: the surface of the earth
• महीतलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + तल (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मही-तलम् = earth-surface)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Setukhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya, small in stature yet radiant, stands before the towering Vindhya; the mountain bows/halts as the sage steps forward, his footprints symbolically smoothing the earth into a level path.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Vindhya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-mastery and dharmic power (tapas) can harmonize even the forces of nature when guided by righteous purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets narrative groundwork within Setukhaṇḍa; the specific tīrtha is not named in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it describes Agastya’s act of curbing the Vindhya.