Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

नंदीश्वर उवाच । कुबेरोऽधिकृतस्तेन शंकरेण महात्मना । धनानामादिपत्ये च तं द्रष्टुं रावणोऽत्र वै

Transliteration

naṃdīśvara uvāca | kubero'dhikṛtastena śaṃkareṇa mahātmanā | dhanānāmādipatye ca taṃ draṣṭuṃ rāvaṇo'tra vai

Translation

Nandīśvara sprach: „Der großherzige Śaṅkara setzte Kubera zum Herrn über die Reichtümer ein. Und hierher kam wahrlich Rāvaṇa, um ihn zu sehen.“

Word by Word

• nandīśvaraḥ: Nandīśvara
• nandīśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandī (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नन्दिनः ईश्वरः/नन्दीश्वरः)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kuberaḥ: Kubera
• kuberaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kubera (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• adhikṛtaḥ: was appointed/authorized
• adhikṛtaḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः (‘नियुक्तः/अधिकृतः’)

• tena: by him
• tena: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन

• śaṃkareṇa: by Śaṅkara
• śaṃkareṇa: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• mahātmanā: by the great-souled (one)
• mahātmanā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय; विशेषणम् (śaṃkareṇa)

• dhanānām: of riches
• dhanānām: Genitive qualifier (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• ādi-patye: in the lordship/sovereignty
• ādi-patye: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + patya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (आदिः पतिः यस्य/आदिपत्यं = आधिपत्यं)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्यय

• rāvaṇaḥ: Rāvaṇa
• rāvaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

Speaker

Nandīśvara

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā, devas, and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandin narrates: Śaṅkara enthroned in ascetic splendor appoints Kubera to wealth-lordship; in the background, Rāvaṇa approaches with intense presence, hinting at future tension.

Characters & Entities

• Nandīśvara
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Kubera
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth and authority are legitimate when grounded in divine order (Śiva’s appointment), not in ego or force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is situated within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred setting, a Śaiva pilgrimage landscape associated with Kedāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse establishes the theological context of Kubera’s divinely sanctioned role.