Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तत्र ब्रह्मा समागत्य स्तुतिं चक्रे परात्मनः । बलेस्तत्रैव चान्येन च दैत्येंद्राश्चागतास्त्वरम्

Transliteration

tatra brahmā samāgatya stutiṃ cakre parātmanaḥ | balestatraiva cānyena ca daityeṃdrāścāgatāstvaram

Translation

Là, Brahmā arriva et entonna un hymne de louange au Soi suprême. Et là même, promptement, d’autres seigneurs des Dānavas vinrent se ranger auprès de Bali.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• समागत्य: having arrived
• समागत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त — gerund (having come), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• स्तुतिम्: praise, hymn
• स्तुतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular

• चक्रे: performed, made
• चक्रे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Perfect, 3rd person singular, middle

• परात्मनः: of the Supreme Self
• परात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive singular; समासः कर्मधारयः (परः आत्मा)

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण) — emphatic particle

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

• अन्येन: by another (one)
• अन्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; विशेषण (with an implied noun)

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

• दैत्येन्द्राः: lords of the demons
• दैत्येन्द्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative plural; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्राः)

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

• आगताः: arrived
• आगताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — past participle used predicatively: 'came/arrived'

• त्वरम्: quickly, in haste
• त्वरम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे द्वितीया — accusative used adverbially (haste)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial convergence: Brahmā arrives and chants a hymn; nearby, Bali’s allied daitya-kings rush in, forming a charged courtly tableau before Vāmana’s decisive act.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Parātman (Viṣṇu)
• Bali
• Daitya-indras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest cosmic authority, Brahmā, honors the Supreme—teaching that ultimate refuge lies beyond status, in the Parātman.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred narrative frame, connecting the teaching to Kedāra-kṣetra’s purāṇic authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only stuti (praise) is mentioned as an act of devotion; no specific rite is detailed in this verse.