Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 187

Devanagari script

नमस्तुभ्यं भगवते वासुदेवाय धीमहि । प्रद्युम्नायानिरुद्धाय नमः संकर्षणाय च

Transliteration

namastubhyaṃ bhagavate vāsudevāya dhīmahi | pradyumnāyāniruddhāya namaḥ saṃkarṣaṇāya ca

Translation

Hommage à Toi, Seigneur bienheureux Vāsudeva—sur qui nous méditons. Hommage à Pradyumna et à Aniruddha, et aussi à Saṅkarṣaṇa.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation/सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नमस्कारार्थे (used as salutation)

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भगवते: to the Blessed Lord
• भगवते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वासुदेवाय: to Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• धीमहि: we meditate
• धीमहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद; ध्याने/धारणे अर्थे (we meditate/hold)

• प्रद्युम्नाय: to Pradyumna
• प्रद्युम्नाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनिरुद्धाय: to Aniruddha
• अनिरुद्धाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिरुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation/सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नमस्कारार्थे

• संकर्षणाय: to Saṃkarṣaṇa
• संकर्षणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

Speaker

Aitareya (hymning Vāsudeva and the Vyūhas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage’s hymn visualizes the fourfold manifestation: Vāsudeva central, with Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and Saṅkarṣaṇa as attendant divine forms or symbolic emanations around him.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Pradyumna
• Aniruddha
• Saṅkarṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is praised both as one (Vāsudeva) and as functional emanations (vyūhas), teaching unified devotion with theological depth.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a doctrinal hymn to Viṣṇu’s vyūha forms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhīmahi indicates contemplative meditation; the verse functions as stuti/japa in a devotional setting.