Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

ततो देवगणाः सर्वे गत्वा कामनिषूदनम् । यथाऽयं नृत्यते नैव तथा कुरु महेश्वर

Transliteration

tato devagaṇāḥ sarve gatvā kāmaniṣūdanam | yathā'yaṃ nṛtyate naiva tathā kuru maheśvara

Translation

Darauf gingen alle Scharen der Götter zum Bezwinger des Kāma und sprachen: „O Maheśvara, handle so, dass dieser nicht länger so tanzt.“

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/क्रमवाचक) — indeclinable ‘then/from there’

• देवगणाः: groups of gods
• देवगणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां गणाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम् (देवगणाः)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव — gerund ‘having gone’

• कामनिषूदनम्: Kāma-niṣūdana (slayer of Kāma)
• कामनिषूदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + निषूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कामस्य निषूदनः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; (विष्णोः/कृष्णस्य नाम)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकारवाचक) — indeclinable ‘as/how’

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नृत्यते: dances
• नृत्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular (Ātmanepada)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation particle

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — emphatic particle ‘indeed/just’

• तथा: so, in that way
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक) — indeclinable ‘so/in that manner’

• कुरु: do (make it)
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• महेश्वर: O Maheśvara (Great Lord)
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Vocative, Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; reporting the gods’ appeal)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A congregation of devas, anxious and reverent, approaches Kāmanişūdana (Śiva), petitioning him to stop a disruptive dance; Śiva stands calm, ash-smeared, with trident, listening.

Characters & Entities

• Deva-gaṇas (gods)
• Kāma-niṣūdana (Śiva)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When imbalance threatens the worlds, refuge is sought in Śiva as the upholder of order; divine grace corrects even ascetic excess.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda sacred narrative culminates in Śiva’s intervention, reinforcing the site’s Śaiva māhātmya atmosphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; it depicts supplication to Śiva as the cosmic remedy.