Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

भवतो निमिषार्द्धेन तेजसामुपसंहृतेः । गतान्यनेकवर्षाणि जगतां नाशहेतवे

Transliteration

bhavato nimiṣārddhena tejasāmupasaṃhṛteḥ | gatānyanekavarṣāṇi jagatāṃ nāśahetave

Translation

Parce que Ton éclat fut retiré l’espace d’un demi-clignement, d’innombrables années se sont écoulées—conduisant les mondes au bord de la ruine.

Word by Word

• भवतः: of you (honorific)
• भवतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; आदरार्थे सर्वनाम

• निमिषार्द्धेन: by half a blink (in an instant)
• निमिषार्द्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमिष + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'निमिषस्य अर्धम्'

• तेजसाम्: of the energies/splendors
• तेजसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• उपसंहृतेः: of the withdrawal/absorption
• उपसंहृतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + सम् + हृ (धातु) + क्तिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक: उपसंहृति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; भाववाचक-क्तिन् (action noun)

• गतानि: have passed, have elapsed
• गतानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त: गत)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; 'elapsed/passed'

• अनेकवर्षाणि: many years
• अनेकवर्षाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनेक + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: 'अनेकानि वर्षाणि'

• जगताम्: of the worlds
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• नाशहेतवे: for the cause of destruction
• नाशहेतवे: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'नाशस्य हेतु:'

Speaker

Siddhas/Devotees (addressing Śiva as Kāla-Sadāśiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visual metaphor of time: Śiva’s eyelid half-closes; the sun-like tejas dims; ages roll by as withered worlds drift toward ruin, while Arunachala stands as the axis of light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāla
• Sadāśiva
• Siddhas
• Bhaktas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a momentary disturbance to divine order can ripple into vast cosmic consequences; dharma is sustained by the Lord’s luminous presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala (Tiruvaṇṇāmalai), whose Māhātmya frames Śiva as the axis of cosmic light and time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is narrative-theological, highlighting the need to restore divine light.