Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

ततो वर्षसहस्रेषु देवास्त्वरितमानसाः । ज्वलनं नोदयामासुर्ज्ञातुं शंकरचेष्टितम्

Transliteration

tato varṣasahasreṣu devāstvaritamānasāḥ | jvalanaṃ nodayāmāsurjñātuṃ śaṃkaraceṣṭitam

Translation

Puis, après que des milliers d’années se furent écoulées, les dieux —le cœur pressé et agité— poussèrent Agni (Jvalana) en avant, désirant connaître l’intention et l’acte mystérieux de Śaṅkara.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Desha-Kala (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरम् (then)

• वर्षसहस्रेषु: in (after) thousands of years
• वर्षसहस्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('thousands of years'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• त्वरितमानसाः: with hurried minds
• त्वरितमानसाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('hasty-minded'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ज्वलनम्: Agni / the Fire-god
• ज्वलनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नोदयामासुः: urged / set in motion
• नोदयामासुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√उद् (उदँ—भ्वादि) + णिच्
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: 'caused to rise/urged')

• ज्ञातुम्: to know
• ज्ञातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (ज्ञा—क्र्यादि)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• शंकरचेष्टितम्: Śaṅkara’s act
• शंकरचेष्टितम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + चेष्टित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('Śaṅkara's deed'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of gods, anxious after long ages, urging Agni forward; Agni glows, poised for a secret mission to learn Śaṅkara’s act.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Agni (Jvalana)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine actions can be subtle and beyond ordinary grasp; humility and patience are needed when approaching Śiva’s inscrutable will.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as narrative setup within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse describes the gods urging Agni to investigate.