Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

उक्त्वैवं शंकरो विप्रास्तत्रैवांतरधीयत । नीलकण्ठो महादेवो गिरिजार्द्धतनुस्ततः

Transliteration

uktvaivaṃ śaṃkaro viprāstatraivāṃtaradhīyata | nīlakaṇṭho mahādevo girijārddhatanustataḥ

Translation

Ayant ainsi parlé, ô brāhmaṇas, Śaṅkara disparut sur-le-champ. Alors Nīlakaṇṭha Mahādeva—dont le corps est à moitié Girijā (Pārvatī)—ne fut plus visible.

Word by Word

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Sambandha (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative); बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• अन्तरधीयत: disappeared
• अन्तरधीयत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर्धा + धा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: अन्तर्; धातु: धा (धारण/स्थापन) → ‘अन्तर्धा’ (to disappear)

• नीलकण्ठः: the blue-throated one
• नीलकण्ठः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: नीलः कण्ठः यस्य/नीलकण्ठः; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: महान् देवः; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• गिरिजा-अर्द्ध-तनुः: he whose body is half (that of) Girijā
• गिरिजा-अर्द्ध-तनुः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा + अर्द्ध + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): गिरिजायाः अर्द्धं तनुः यस्य; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरं (ablatival adverb: thereafter/from there)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing viprāḥ)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Nīlakaṇṭha) fades from view after speaking; a lingering vision of Ardhanārīśvara—half Pārvatī—suggests the non-dual source behind the command.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Nīlakaṇṭha
• Mahādeva
• Giri-jā (Pārvatī)
• Viprāḥ (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence is sovereign—Śiva appears to instruct and bless, then withdraws, leaving dharma to be carried forward by the recipients.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa narrative setting is the Setu/Rāmeśvara sacred zone; Śiva’s miraculous disappearance reinforces the sanctity of the locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it marks the conclusion of Śiva’s instruction sequence.