Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

एवं निहन्यमाना वै गणास्ते रणमण्डले । प्रहस्य विष्णुः प्रोवाच कुमारं शिववल्लभम्

Transliteration

evaṃ nihanyamānā vai gaṇāste raṇamaṇḍale | prahasya viṣṇuḥ provāca kumāraṃ śivavallabham

Translation

Tandis que ces Gaṇas étaient ainsi frappés sur le champ de bataille, Viṣṇu, souriant, s’adressa à Kumāra, le bien-aimé de Śiva.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• निहन्यमानाः: being killed
• निहन्यमानाः: विधेय (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निहन्यमान (कृदन्त; नि + √हन् (धातु) + यक्/शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle; शानच्/मान), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'being slain'

• वै: indeed
• वै: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• गणाः: the troops/attendants
• गणाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• रणमण्डले: in the battlefield
• रणमण्डले: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रणमण्डल (प्रातिपदिक; रण + मण्डल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: 'battle-field/circle of battle'

• प्रहस्य: having laughed
• प्रहस्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रहस्य (कृदन्त; प्र + √हस् (धातु) + ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having laughed'

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रोवाच: spoke/said
• प्रोवाच: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; 'said/spoke'

• कुमारम्: to the youth/son (Kumāra)
• कुमारम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• शिववल्लभम्: beloved of Śiva
• शिववल्लभम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिववल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + वल्लभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: 'beloved of Śiva' (epithet of Kumāra)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator); direct speech introduced: Viṣṇu → Kumāra (Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the battlefield’s edge, Viṣṇu smiles serenely and speaks to youthful Kumāra—radiant, spear-bearing—while chaos rages behind them; a calm center amid storm.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kumāra (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Śiva
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine cooperation is emphasized—Viṣṇu supports Śiva’s purpose by directing Skanda toward his ordained role.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-khaṇḍa frames the narrative in the Kedāra sacred geography, though this verse focuses on dialogue within the battle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a transition into Viṣṇu’s counsel to Kumāra.