Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । नमस्कृत्य महाकालं वरदं स्थाणुमव्ययम् । शक्तितश्चरितं तस्य वक्ष्ये पांडुकुलोद्वह

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | namaskṛtya mahākālaṃ varadaṃ sthāṇumavyayam | śaktitaścaritaṃ tasya vakṣye pāṃḍukulodvaha

Translation

Nārada dit : «Après m’être prosterné devant Mahākāla —dispensateur de grâces, Seigneur immuable et impérissable— je raconterai ses actes selon mes forces, ô le plus éminent de la lignée de Pāṇḍu.»

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस्-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla (the Great Time; Śiva)
• महाकालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक; महा + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• वरदम्: boon-giving
• वरदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरद (प्रातिपदिक; वर + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of महाकालम्)

• स्थाणुम्: Sthāṇu (the immovable; Śiva)
• स्थाणुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थाणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; शिवनाम

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of स्थाणुम्/महाकालम्)

• शक्तितः: according to (my) ability
• शक्तितः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/Cause/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'शक्तितः' = शक्त्या अनुसारम्

• चरितम्: deed(s), story, account
• चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used as noun)

• तस्य: of him (Śiva)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• पाण्डुकुलोद्वह: O best of Pāṇḍu’s lineage
• पाण्डुकुलोद्वह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुकुलोद्वह (प्रातिपदिक; पाण्डु-कुल + उद्वह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनपदम्

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla/Mahākāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Pāṇḍava-line prince (pāṇḍukula-udvaha; likely Janamejaya-type framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, vīṇā in hand, bows to a towering Śiva-liṅga identified with Mahākāla; behind him stands a Pāṇḍava-descendant listener, attentive to the forthcoming kathā.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mahākāla
• Sthāṇu (Śiva)
• Arjuna (Pāṇḍukulodvaha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narration begins with namaskāra; humility and devotion frame the telling of divine deeds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla-related tīrtha context is implied; the site’s greatness is unfolded through Mahākāla’s carita.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) to Mahākāla before hearing or narrating sacred history.