Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अथायान्निकटं विष्णोः सुरेशस्त्वरयान्वितः । उवाच चैनं मधुरमुत्साहपरिबृंहितम्

Transliteration

athāyānnikaṭaṃ viṣṇoḥ sureśastvarayānvitaḥ | uvāca cainaṃ madhuramutsāhaparibṛṃhitam

Translation

Then Indra, lord of the gods, hastened to Viṣṇu, drew near, and spoke to him sweet words, filled with encouragement and resolve.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक (sequence/beginning particle)

• आयात्: came
• आयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: i (इ धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निकटम्: near (to the vicinity)
• निकटम्: Adhikarana (Goal/Place—destination/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nikaṭa (निकट प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक्रियायां देशवाचकं (accusative of goal/place)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (विष्णु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• सुरेशः: the lord of the gods (Indra)
• सुरेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sureśa (सुर-ईश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘सुराणाम् ईशः’

• त्वरया: with haste
• त्वरया: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvarā (त्वरा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• अन्वितः: endowed/attended (by)
• अन्वितः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anvita (अन्वित प्रातिपदिक; √i/अनु+√i क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying sureśaḥ)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: enad (एतद्/एनद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मधुरम्: sweet
• मधुरम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhura (मधुर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of the speech/utterance implied)

• उत्साहपरिबृंहितम्: strengthened by enthusiasm
• उत्साहपरिबृंहितम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: utsāha + paribṛṃhita (उत्साह प्रातिपदिक + परि+√bṛṃh क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (उत्साहेन परिबृंहितम् = strengthened by enthusiasm)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration); Indra is the one who speaks within the scene

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, radiant and hurried, approaches Viṣṇu with folded hands; a celestial court atmosphere—conch, discus, garlands—while Indra speaks with earnest sweetness and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Sureśa)
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous action is strengthened by timely counsel and uplifting speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets up Indra’s exhortation.