Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अथ ब्रह्मा महादेवमभिवाद्य कृतांजलिः । उद्वाहः क्रियतां देव इत्युवाच महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | atha brahmā mahādevamabhivādya kṛtāṃjaliḥ | udvāhaḥ kriyatāṃ deva ityuvāca maheśvaram

Translation

Nārada said: Then Brahmā, having saluted Mahādeva with folded hands, said to Maheśvara, “O Lord, let the marriage rite be performed.”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• अभिवाद्य: having saluted
• अभिवाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + वद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having saluted)

• कृताञ्जलिः: with hands joined (in reverence)
• कृताञ्जलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्रह्मा); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अञ्जलिः कृतः येन)

• उद्वाहः: the marriage
• उद्वाहः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्वाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्रियताम्: let (it) be done
• क्रियताम्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• देव: O Lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

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

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada narrates: Brahmā stands with folded hands, salutes Mahādeva, and requests that the marriage rite be performed.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest gods uphold dharma through proper rites—sacred order is maintained by performing saṃskāras with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it introduces a ritual moment within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Udvāha (the marriage rite) is explicitly requested, framed with respectful salutation (abhivādana) and añjali.