Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सव्यदक्षिणसंस्थानौ ब्रह्मविष्णूतु जग्मतुः । हंसं च गरुडं चैव समारुह्य महाप्रभौ

Transliteration

savyadakṣiṇasaṃsthānau brahmaviṣṇūtu jagmatuḥ | haṃsaṃ ca garuḍaṃ caiva samāruhya mahāprabhau

Translation

Brahmā und Viṣṇu, zur Linken und zur Rechten aufgestellt, zogen weiter—jene großen Herren—auf dem Schwan und auf Garuḍa reitend.

Word by Word

• सव्य: left
• सव्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन — (समासाङ्ग)

• दक्षिण: right
• दक्षिण: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन — (समासाङ्ग)

• संस्थानौ: (the two) positioned on left and right
• संस्थानौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (‘सव्य’ + ‘दक्षिण’ + ‘संस्थान’) = ‘left-and-right-positioned (two)’

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विष्णू: Viṣṇu
• विष्णू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• जग्मतुः: went
• जग्मतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन

• हंसम्: swan
• हंसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• गरुडम्: Garuḍa
• गरुडम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• समारुह्य: having mounted
• समारुह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-रुह् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund); ‘having mounted’

• महाप्रभौ: the two great lords
• महाप्रभौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक: महा + प्रभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘महान् प्रभुः’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā and Viṣṇu, positioned on left and right flanks, proceed in splendor—Brahmā mounting the Haṃsa, Viṣṇu mounting Garuḍa—moving toward the focal divine event.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Haṃsa
• Garuḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic functions cooperate in righteousness—Brahmā and Viṣṇu honor the divine occasion, reflecting unity rather than rivalry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred place is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, emphasizing auspicious iconography and divine order.