Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

श्वेतद्वीपे पुरा दृष्टं मया रूपं तव प्रभो । अजं सनातनं विष्णो नरनारायणात्मकम्

Transliteration

śvetadvīpe purā dṛṣṭaṃ mayā rūpaṃ tava prabho | ajaṃ sanātanaṃ viṣṇo naranārāyaṇātmakam

Translation

Einst, auf Śvetadvīpa, schaute ich Deine Gestalt, o Herr; o Viṣṇu, der Ungeborene und Ewige, dessen Wesen Nara und Nārāyaṇa ist.

Word by Word

• śvetadvīpe: in Śvetadvīpa (the White Island)
• śvetadvīpe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta + dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरणम् (location)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; रूपम् इति विशेषणम्

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartā (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• ajam: unborn
• ajam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (रूपम्/त्वाम् इत्यर्थे) विशेषणम्

• sanātanam: eternal
• sanātanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• viṣṇo: O Viṣṇu
• viṣṇo: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• naranārāyaṇātmakam: having the nature of Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• naranārāyaṇātmakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nara + nārāyaṇa + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śvetadvīpa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee recalls a vision of Vishnu in Śvetadvīpa: a luminous white realm, serene oceanic or ethereal setting; Vishnu as the eternal Nara-Nārāyaṇa essence—majestic yet ascetic, radiating sattvic brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Śvetadvīpa
• Viṣṇu
• Nara-Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s form is timeless and unborn; remembering prior divine visions strengthens present devotion and sacred action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śvetadvīpa is referenced as the earlier place of vision; the current tīrtha remains unnamed in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it provides theological identification of Viṣṇu as Nara-Nārāyaṇa.