Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

ज्वरैस्तु पीडितान्देवान्दृष्ट्वा विष्णुर्हसन्निव । जीवग्राहेण जग्राह देवांस्तांश्च पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

jvaraistu pīḍitāndevāndṛṣṭvā viṣṇurhasanniva | jīvagrāheṇa jagrāha devāṃstāṃśca pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

Als Viṣṇu die von Fiebern gepeinigten Devas sah, ergriff er sie, gleichsam lächelnd, einen nach dem andern mit dem „lebensraubenden“ Griff.

Word by Word

• ज्वरैः: by fevers
• ज्वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/contrast particle)

• पीडितान्: afflicted
• पीडितान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीडित (कृदन्त; √पीड् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त), पूर्वकाल — Gerund (absolutive): 'having seen'

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• हसन्: smiling/laughing
• हसन्: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हसत् (कृदन्त; √हस् (धातु) + शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• जीवग्राहेण: with a living-snare (a creature-catcher)
• जीवग्राहेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव + ग्राह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: जीवस्य ग्राहः ‘a living-capture/creature-snare’

• जग्राह: seized
• जग्राह: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Active

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Pronoun, Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• पृथक्: each by each
• पृथक्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis), क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cluster of fever-stricken devas, pallid and weakened, while Viṣṇu stands composed, faintly smiling, extending a decisive grasp described as ‘life-seizing’ toward them one by one—an ambiguous act of control preceding cure.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Devas
• Jvara (fever)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate intervention persists even amid terror; divine guardianship can appear stern—yet aims at preserving life and order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa context continues to anchor the narrative in the Kedāra sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is present.