Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

हरिः प्राह महेशानं बिभ्यदावेद्मयहं तव । मातामहं च पितरं प्रयोगं श्रृणु भूधर

Transliteration

hariḥ prāha maheśānaṃ bibhyadāvedmayahaṃ tava | mātāmahaṃ ca pitaraṃ prayogaṃ śrṛṇu bhūdhara

Translation

Hari sprach zu Maheśāna: „Aus Ehrfurcht trage ich dir dies vor. O Bhūdhara (Berg), höre die rechte Ordnung des Ritus: Ich werde als mütterlicher Großvater und zugleich als Vater handeln, um die Zeremonie zu vollziehen.“

Word by Word

• hariḥ: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• hariḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परिपूर्ण भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• maheśānam: Maheśāna (Śiva)
• maheśānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bibhyan: fearing
• bibhyan: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhī (धातु) → bibhyat (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘बिभ्यन्’ (sandhi form)

• āvedmi: I know / I declare
• āvedmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mātāmaham: maternal grandfather
• mātāmaham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• pitaram: father
• pitaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prayogam: the formulation / usage
• prayogam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śṛṇu: hear / listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Imperative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhūdhara: O mountain-bearer (epithet)
• bhūdhara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūdhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating; direct speech by Viṣṇu (Hari)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūdhara (as addressed in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu respectfully addresses Śiva, offering to take on the roles of maternal grandfather and father to ensure the rite proceeds correctly; the assembly watches as ritual protocol is announced.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Hari)
• Śiva (Maheśāna)
• Himālaya (Bhūdhara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest gods honor dharma by following proper ritual procedure and family roles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the broader vivāha narrative within the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse introduces “prayoga”—the correct arrangement of the wedding rite, with Viṣṇu assuming kinship roles to conduct it properly.