Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

त्वयाविष्टो हि भगवान्मत्स्यरूपी जनार्दनः । जगदुद्धारणार्थाय चक्रे कर्माम्यनेकशः

Transliteration

tvayāviṣṭo hi bhagavānmatsyarūpī janārdanaḥ | jagaduddhāraṇārthāya cakre karmāmyanekaśaḥ

Translation

En vérité, Janārdana, ayant pris la forme du Poisson (Matsya), fut mû par toi ; pour le salut du monde, il accomplit maints actes puissants.

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: एकवचन (Singular), तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd)

• आविष्टः: possessed/entered
• आविष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier of भगवान्/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + विश् (धातु) → आविष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• मत्स्यरूपी: in the form of a fish
• मत्स्यरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier of जनार्दनः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha; मत्स्यरूपः अस्य = having fish-form); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगदुद्धारणार्थाय: for the purpose of rescuing the world
• जगदुद्धारणार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्धारण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha; जगतः उद्धारणस्य अर्थाय = for the purpose of lifting the world); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी (Dative, 4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चक्रे: did/performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद

• कर्माणि: deeds/acts
• कर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अमि: these
• अमि: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), बहुवचन (Plural); वैदिक/छान्दस-रूप (Vedic/archaic form for ‘इमे’)

• अनेकशः: many times/in many ways
• अनेकशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशः (अव्यय; अनेक + शस्)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner/frequency)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhāmbikā-kṣetra (Śakti-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods praise Devī, recalling the cosmic flood: Viṣṇu as Matsya, guided by Devī’s power, performing world-rescue deeds—Vedas saved, creation steadied.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Matsya-avatāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine compassion manifests in many forms to protect and uplift the world; sacred power (śakti) guides even avatāra-deeds toward cosmic welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Siddheya-kṣetra narrative of Kaumārikākhaṇḍa (Adhyāya 36), setting the tone of divine protection connected to that sacred field (kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it provides theological grounding for later kṣetra-protection and worship instructions.