Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । व्यग्रचित्ताः सुराः सर्वे आकृष्टं हरिकार्मु कम् । न जाने केन कार्येण विष्णुमायाविमोहिताः

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | vyagracittāḥ surāḥ sarve ākṛṣṭaṃ harikārmu kam | na jāne kena kāryeṇa viṣṇumāyāvimohitāḥ

Translation

Vyāsa dit : « Tous les dieux, l'esprit agité, avaient tendu l'arc de Hari. Je ne sais dans quel but ils furent abusés par la māyā de Viṣṇu. »

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• व्यग्रचित्ताः: agitated-minded
• व्यग्रचित्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यग्र-चित्त (प्रातिपदिक; व्यग्र + चित्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आकृष्टम्: pulled/drawn
• आकृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + कृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• हरिकार्मुकम्: Hari's bow
• हरिकार्मुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि-कार्मुक (प्रातिपदिक; हरि + कार्मुक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• जाने: I know
• जाने: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• केन: by what/with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कार्येण: by what purpose/for what reason
• कार्येण: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विष्णुमायाविमोहिताः: deluded by Viṣṇu's māyā
• विष्णुमायाविमोहिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु-माया-विमोहित (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु + माया + विमोहित)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) used adjectivally, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa narrates: the gods, minds agitated, collectively draw back Hari’s bow, yet the purpose is hidden—Viṣṇu’s māyā has deluded them.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Devas
• Hari
• Viṣṇu
• Māyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine māyā can veil even the devas, reminding seekers to rely on dharma and higher discernment rather than pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it advances the Dharmāraṇya narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on a theistic explanation—delusion by Viṣṇu’s māyā.