Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अकांडे यच्च ब्रह्मांडक्षयोद्युक्तं हलाहलम् । कण्ठे दधार श्रीकण्ठः कस्तस्मात्परमो भवेत्

Transliteration

akāṃḍe yacca brahmāṃḍakṣayodyuktaṃ halāhalam | kaṇṭhe dadhāra śrīkaṇṭhaḥ kastasmātparamo bhavet

Translation

Quand, dans une crise soudaine, le poison Hālāhala surgit—prêt à anéantir le cosmos—Śrīkaṇṭha le retint dans Sa gorge. Qui pourrait être plus grand que Lui ?

Word by Word

• अकाण्डे: at an unexpected time
• अकाण्डे: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'अकाण्डे' = 'at an untimely moment/suddenly' (locative used adverbially)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ब्रह्माण्डक्षयोद्युक्तम्: set to destroy the universe
• ब्रह्माण्डक्षयोद्युक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड-क्षय-उद्युक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (हलाहलम्); समासः तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्माण्डस्य क्षये उद्युक्तम् = 'intent on the destruction of the cosmos')

• हलाहलम्: the Hālāhala poison
• हलाहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हलाहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कण्ठे: in (his) throat
• कण्ठे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दधार: held/bore
• दधार: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रीकण्ठः: Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva)
• श्रीकण्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः ('श्रीमान् कण्ठः' / epithet of Śiva)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Interrogative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• तस्मात्: than him/than that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• परमः: superior
• परमः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• भवेत्: could be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/सम्भावना), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlakaṇṭha/Śrīkaṇṭha Mahātmyam (mythic motif)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Hālāhala poison rises to destroy the cosmos; Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva) contains it in his throat, saving the worlds; rhetorical acclaim follows.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva)
• Hālāhala
• Brahmāṇḍa (cosmos)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme protects creation by accepting suffering for the welfare of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse recalls the cosmic episode of Hālāhala to glorify Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it supports devotional remembrance (smaraṇa) of Śiva’s saving act.