Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

क्षेत्राणि वैष्णवानीह त्यक्त्वा विष्णुरपि क्षितेः । प्रयातो मंदरं यत्र देवदेव उमाधवः

Transliteration

kṣetrāṇi vaiṣṇavānīha tyaktvā viṣṇurapi kṣiteḥ | prayāto maṃdaraṃ yatra devadeva umādhavaḥ

Translation

Abandoning the Vaiṣṇava sacred places upon the earth, Viṣṇu too departed for Mandara, where the God of gods, Umādhava (Śiva with Umā), was present.

Word by Word

• क्षेत्राणि: holy places/fields
• क्षेत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• वैष्णवानि: Vaiṣṇava (of Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; qualifying क्षेत्राणि

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• त्यक्त्वा: having left
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) ‘also’

• क्षितेः: from the earth
• क्षितेः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; ablative ‘from the earth’

• प्रयातः: departed/went forth
• प्रयातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + या (धातु) → प्रयात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; qualifying विष्णुः

• मन्दरम्: to Mandara
• मन्दरम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb)

• देवदेवः: God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘देवानां देवः’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; epithet of उमाधवः

• उमाधवः: Umā’s husband (Śiva)
• उमाधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘उमायाः धवः’ (husband of Umā); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara (as Umādhava-sannidhāna-sthala)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (and listeners)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu departs from various Vaiṣṇava tīrthas (suggested by symbolic temple silhouettes) and journeys to Mandara; at Mandara, Śiva with Umā (Umādhava) is enthroned or present in radiant union, receiving Viṣṇu’s approach with mutual honor.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Mandara
• Umādhava (Śiva)
• Umā
• Vaiṣṇava kṣetras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The narrative underscores Śiva’s supreme magnetism in sacred geography: even Viṣṇu honors the locus of the Deva-deva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mandara mountain as the place graced by Umādhava (Śiva with Umā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes pilgrimage-like movement of deities toward a sanctified location.