Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

विष्णुवाक्यादसौ पापो गतो यत्र महेश्वरः । कैलासशिखरं प्राप्य धुनोति स्म मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

viṣṇuvākyādasau pāpo gato yatra maheśvaraḥ | kailāsaśikharaṃ prāpya dhunoti sma muhurmuhuḥ

Translation

Sur la parole de Viṣṇu, ce pécheur se rendit là où se tenait Maheśvara. Ayant atteint le sommet du Kailāsa, il le secoua maintes et maintes fois.

Word by Word

• विष्णुवाक्यात्: from Viṣṇu's statement
• विष्णुवाक्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः वाक्यम्)

• असौ: that (person)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पापः: the sinner
• पापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतः: went / having gone
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण/विधेयविशेषणम्

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

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कैलासशिखरम्: the peak of Kailāsa
• कैलासशिखरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक) + शिखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कैलासस्य शिखरम्)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्/आपॢ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), "having reached"

• धुनोति: shakes
• धुनोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धुन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्म: indeed/then (narrative)
• स्म: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; भूतार्थ/स्मरणार्थक-निपातः (past narrative particle)

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of frequency)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (intensifying repetition)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta in transmission)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as ‘mahīpate’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, powerful figure—‘the sinful one’—reaches the radiant, snow-clad summit of Kailāsa where Maheśvara abides; he grips and shakes the peak repeatedly as divine energies flare around the mountain.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Kailāsa
• Andhaka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Irreverence toward sacred abodes and the Lord’s presence intensifies karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa, the exalted mountain-abode of Maheśvara, highlighted as a seat of immense sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes an act of transgression against a sacred place.