Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अथ विष्णुर्नवांभोदगंभीरध्वनिरभ्यधात् । वाचः कृतार्थन्भूयः शुक्लाः शंकरकीर्त्तनैः

Transliteration

atha viṣṇurnavāṃbhodagaṃbhīradhvanirabhyadhāt | vācaḥ kṛtārthanbhūyaḥ śuklāḥ śaṃkarakīrttanaiḥ

Translation

Alors Viṣṇu, dont la voix était profonde comme un nuage de pluie naissant, parla ; et les paroles furent de nouveau accomplies, rendues pures par la glorification de Śaṅkara.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: ‘then/now’)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• nava: new; fresh
• nava: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective stem), पूर्वपद-रूपेण (as first member)

• ambhoda: cloud
• ambhoda: Visheshya (Head within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambhoda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (cloud)

• gaṃbhīra: deep
• gaṃbhīra: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṃbhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, समासपूर्वपद

• dhvaniḥ: sound; voice
• dhvaniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvani (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासोत्तरपद

• abhyadhāt: spoke; uttered
• abhyadhāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi√dhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/लङ्-सम्भाव्य पाठभेदे; अत्र लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः ‘अभि-’

• vācaḥ: words
• vācaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन (वाचस् → वाचः)

• kṛtārtham: fulfilled; successful
• kṛtārtham: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘कृतः अर्थः यस्य’/‘fulfilled’)—here qualifying ‘vācaḥ’ as resultative sense

• bhūyaḥ: again; further
• bhūyaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘again/more’)

• śuklāḥ: pure; bright
• śuklāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with vācaḥ understood)

• śaṃkara: Śaṅkara
• śaṃkara: Sambandha (Genitive-relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद

• kīrttanaiḥ: by praises; by chanting
• kīrttanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrtana (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; साधन/करणे

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Viṣṇu’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu speaks with a cloud-deep voice in Śiva’s presence; the atmosphere feels rain-laden and purifying, as if words themselves wash clean through Śaṅkara’s praise.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Glorifying Śaṅkara purifies speech and brings it to spiritual fruition; even Viṣṇu participates in Śiva-kīrtana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Aruṇācalamāhātmya setting continues, keeping Arunachala as the sacred horizon for this praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śaṅkara-kīrtana (praising Śiva) is implicitly upheld as a meritorious devotional practice.