Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

अगाधमेतत्सुमहत्सरः कैश्चिन्महाबलैः । अहं खादितुमारब्धः कथंचिच्चापि निर्गतः

Transliteration

agādhametatsumahatsaraḥ kaiścinmahābalaiḥ | ahaṃ khāditumārabdhaḥ kathaṃciccāpi nirgataḥ

Translation

«Ce lac immense est insondable, et certains êtres d’une grande puissance le gardent. J’ai été saisi et presque dévoré ; d’une manière ou d’une autre, j’ai pu m’en échapper.»

Word by Word

• agādham: unfathomable, very deep
• agādham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-gādha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter nom/acc sg, adjective)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun used adjectivally)

• su-mahat: very great
• su-mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (masc nom sg)

• saraḥ: lake, pond
• saraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (neuter nom sg)

• kaiścit: by some (persons)
• kaiścit: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun: 'by some')

• mahā-balaiḥ: by very strong (ones)
• mahā-balaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (mahābalaiḥ = 'great-strong ones')

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (1st person pronoun, nom sg)

• khāditum: to eat
• khāditum: Kriya-artha (Purpose/क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: khād (धातु)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थम् (purpose infinitive)

• ārabdhaḥ: having begun, started
• ārabdhaḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√rabh (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (PPP: 'having begun')

• kathaṃcit: somehow
• kathaṃcit: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: 'somehow')

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

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कारक (particle: 'also/even')

• nirgataḥ: came out, escaped
• nirgataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तरि (PPP used actively: 'gone out')

Speaker

Bhīma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast dark-blue lake with indistinct, formidable guardian beings at its edges; a traveler recounts being seized and nearly devoured, escaping to safety.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human power is limited; unseen forces within sacred landscapes can humble and protect dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks of a ‘great lake’ but does not provide a specific tīrtha-name in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.