Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ययाविष्टः समुज्जह्रे वेदान्कूर्मो जगद्गुरुः । अनयाविष्टदेहश्च बुधो बौद्धान्हनिष्यति

Transliteration

yayāviṣṭaḥ samujjahre vedānkūrmo jagadguruḥ | anayāviṣṭadehaśca budho bauddhānhaniṣyati

Translation

Possessed by that Power, Kūrma—the teacher of the world—lifted up and restored the Vedas. And with his body entered by this very Power, Buddha will, in time, subdue the Bauddhas.

Word by Word

• यया: by whom; by which (female)
• यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• आविष्टः: possessed; entered
• आविष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle) ‘possessed/entered’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समुज्जह्रे: brought up; lifted out
• समुज्जह्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• कूर्मः: Kūrma (the tortoise incarnation)
• कूर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जगद्गुरुः: the teacher of the world
• जगद्गुरुः: Apposition (सम्बोधन/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of the world’ + ‘teacher’); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अनया: by this (female)
• अनया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• आविष्टदेहः: having a possessed body; whose body is entered
• आविष्टदेहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आविष्ट + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (‘possessed body’); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• बुधः: Budha (the wise one / Mercury)
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बौद्धान्: the Buddhists
• बौद्धान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बौद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• हनिष्यति: will kill; will destroy
• हनिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śakti’s radiance enters Kūrma; Kūrma emerges bearing or lifting the Vedas from peril (often imagined from waters/abyss). A second vignette foreshadows Buddha as a divinely-empowered figure subduing misguided Bauddhas.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma
• Vedas
• Buddha
• Bauddhas
• Śakti (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic preservation of Vedic dharma is depicted as Śakti-driven; divine power works through forms to restore and regulate religious order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the focus is on mythic-dharmic history (Veda-protection).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears in this verse.