Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तथा मृडानीकांतेन विष्णुसादखिलंजगत । विधाय क्रीड्यते विप्र नित्यं स्वच्छंद लीलया

Transliteration

tathā mṛḍānīkāṃtena viṣṇusādakhilaṃjagata | vidhāya krīḍyate vipra nityaṃ svacchaṃda līlayā

Translation

Ainsi, ô brāhmane, par l’Époux bien-aimé de Mṛḍānī (Pārvatī), l’univers tout entier est placé sous la puissance de Viṣṇu ; l’ayant ainsi ordonné, Il se livre éternellement à sa līlā, libre et souveraine.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचकः (manner adverb)

• मृडानीकान्तेन: by the beloved of Mṛḍānī (Śiva)
• मृडानीकान्तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृडानी (प्रातिपदिक) + कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मृडान्याः कान्तः)

• विष्णुसात्: under Viṣṇu’s control; as belonging to Viṣṇu
• विष्णुसात्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + सात् (अव्यय/उपपद)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (meaning ‘under/into the control of Viṣṇu’)

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्

• विधाय: having arranged/created
• विधाय: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-धा (धातु) → विधाय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); क्रियाविशेषणम्

• क्रीड्यते: plays; sports
• क्रीड्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचनम्

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (accusative used adverbially); कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• स्वच्छन्द: free; spontaneous
• स्वच्छन्द: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वच्छन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-सम्बन्धे (लीलया सह विशेषणम्); अव्ययवत्/विशेषणरूपेण प्रयोगः

• लीलया: by (his) play/sport
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; करणम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Hari-Hara integrative frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic stage: Śiva as the unseen director, Pārvatī beside; Viṣṇu shown sustaining the universe (holding chakra, conch), while the cosmos is arranged like a mandala-board; the mood is playful yet majestic (līlā).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī (Mṛḍānī)
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is a divine līlā: Śiva, in harmony with Viṣṇu, freely sustains and orchestrates the universe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s Kāśī-mahātmya atmosphere, where such theology underpins Kāśī’s liberating sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse encourages reverence for the divine order and contemplation of Śiva’s līlā.