Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

लोमश उवाच । प्रणम्य परमात्मानं रमायुक्तं जनार्द्दनम् । अमृतार्थं ममंथुस्ते सुरासुरगणाः पुनः

Transliteration

lomaśa uvāca | praṇamya paramātmānaṃ ramāyuktaṃ janārddanam | amṛtārthaṃ mamaṃthuste surāsuragaṇāḥ punaḥ

Translation

Lomaśa sprach: Nachdem sie sich vor Janārdana—dem höchsten Selbst, vereint mit Ramā (Śrī)—verneigt hatten, quirlen die Scharen der Devas und Asuras erneut den Ozean, um Amṛta, den Nektar der Unsterblichkeit, zu erlangen.

Word by Word

• lomaśaḥ: Lomaśa
• lomaśaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lomaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra + nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• paramātmānam: the Supreme Self
• paramātmānam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (परमः आत्मा); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ramā-yuktam: joined with Ramā (Lakṣmī)
• ramā-yuktam: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramā (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (रामया युक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (janārddanam)

• janārddanam: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• janārddanam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• amṛta-artham: for the sake of nectar
• amṛta-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: amṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (purpose adverb: ‘for nectar’)

• mamaṃthuḥ: they churned
• mamaṃthuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: manth (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• sura-asura-gaṇāḥ: the hosts of gods and demons
• sura-asura-gaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सुरासुराणां गणाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘again’)

Speaker

Lomaśa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakhaṇḍa (narrative frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lomaśa begins a new narrative: devas and asuras bow to Janārdana with Śrī, then resume the churning of the ocean for amṛta—cosmic scale, ritualized action.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Janārdana
• Ramā (Śrī/Lakṣmī)
• Devas
• Asuras
• Amṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great undertakings begin with reverence to the Supreme; divine grace is sought before striving for life’s highest aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Kedārakhaṇḍa framework; this verse introduces a pan-Purāṇic episode (Samudra-manthana) used to illuminate dharma within the Kedāra narrative stream.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription of praṇāma (obeisance) to the Lord before commencing any major rite or endeavor.