Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

अहं कूर्मस्तदा जातो दशयोजनविस्तृतः । समुद्रसलिले नीतस्त्वयाहं यज्ञसाधने

Transliteration

ahaṃ kūrmastadā jāto daśayojanavistṛtaḥ | samudrasalile nītastvayāhaṃ yajñasādhane

Translation

At that time I was born as Kūrma, the tortoise, ten yojanas in breadth. You led me into the waters of the ocean for the accomplishment of the sacred sacrifice (yajña).

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative, Singular

• कूर्मः: (as) a tortoise
• कूर्मः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable adverb of time

• जातः: was born/became
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past participle used predicatively, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दशयोजनविस्तृतः: spread over ten yojanas
• दशयोजनविस्तृतः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश + योजन + विस्तृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; समासः दश-योजन-विस्तृतः (द्विगु-पूर्वपद + तत्पुरुष: दशयोजनैः विस्तृतः)

• समुद्रसलिले: in the ocean water
• समुद्रसलिले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र + सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular; समासः समुद्रस्य सलिलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• नीतः: was taken/led
• नीतः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) → नीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past participle (passive sense), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative, Singular

• यज्ञसाधने: for the performance/means of sacrifice
• यज्ञसाधने: Adhikarana (Purpose/Locative context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular; समासः यज्ञस्य साधनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual attribution within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Samudra (mythic sacred ocean)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narrative audience within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gigantic tortoise—ten yojanas wide—moves into the ocean; above, the sacrificial enterprise is implied, with divine beings using the tortoise as support for a great rite.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma (tortoise form)
• Samudra (ocean)
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through yajña, and beings may assume extraordinary forms to support sacred rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears; the setting is the ocean connected to a sacrificial undertaking.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references yajña-sādhana (accomplishing a sacrifice), implying ritual performance rather than prescribing a specific vow.