Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अभीषून्पुरुषव्याघ्र ब्रह्मा च जगृहे स्वयम् । ते पिबंत इवाकाशं त्रासयंतश्चराचरम्

Transliteration

abhīṣūnpuruṣavyāghra brahmā ca jagṛhe svayam | te pibaṃta ivākāśaṃ trāsayaṃtaścarācaram

Translation

Ô tigre parmi les hommes, Brahmā lui-même saisit les rênes ; et ces lions, comme s’ils buvaient le ciel, épouvantèrent tous les êtres, mobiles et immobiles.

Word by Word

• अभीषून्: reins
• अभीषून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभीषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचन

• पुरुषव्याघ्र: O tiger among men
• पुरुषव्याघ्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन) एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘पुरुषाणां व्याघ्रः’ (vocative epithet)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• जगृहे: took/held
• जगृहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचन

• पिबन्तः: drinking
• पिबन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पिबत् (कृदन्त; √पा (धातु) शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन; वर्तमानकालिक कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle)

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• आकाशम्: the sky
• आकाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन

• त्रासयन्तः: terrifying
• त्रासयन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रासयत् (कृदन्त; √त्रस् (धातु) णिच् + शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रयोजक वर्तमानकालिक कर्तरि शतृ (causative present active participle)

• चराचरम्: all moving and unmoving (beings)
• चराचरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर + अचर (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (moving and unmoving beings)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: puruṣavyāghra (addressed hero/listener within the narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced and radiant, grips the reins of the lion-yoked chariot; the lions surge forward as if consuming the sky, and all beings recoil in fear.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest gods participate in the Lord’s cosmic order; divine majesty inspires reverent awe across all creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred geography is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.