Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

कथं गरं भक्षितवाञ्छिवो लोकमहेश्वरः । तत्सर्वं श्रूयतां विप्रा यतावत्कथयामि वः

Transliteration

kathaṃ garaṃ bhakṣitavāñchivo lokamaheśvaraḥ | tatsarvaṃ śrūyatāṃ viprā yatāvatkathayāmi vaḥ

Translation

Comment Śiva—le Grand Seigneur des mondes—absorba-t-il le poison meurtrier ? Ô brāhmaṇas, écoutez : je vais vous en raconter l’entière histoire dans l’ordre convenable.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (how)

• गरम्: poison (gara)
• गरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भक्षितवान्: ate / consumed
• भक्षितवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘शिवः’ इति कर्तरि

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लोकमहेश्वरः: the great lord of the worlds
• लोकमहेश्वरः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: लोक + महेश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘शिवः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/उपाधि

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) / द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘सर्वम्’ इत्यनेन सह

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) / द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मपदम्

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Injunctive/imperative predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be heard’

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), बहुवचन

• यतावत्: as much as is proper / in full detail
• यतावत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as much as; in due measure)

• कथयामि: I tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिजन्त/causative of कथ्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वः: to you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) / चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन; अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे (to you)

Speaker

Lomāśa (narrator) addressing the sages/brāhmaṇas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ocean of milk churning: Mandara mountain as churn, Vāsuki as rope, devas and asuras pulling; dark hālāhala poison rising; Śiva calmly receives it, throat turning blue (Nīlakaṇṭha), while beings are saved.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s act of taking poison upon himself highlights divine compassion—bearing danger to protect the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding context is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra sacred region); this verse introduces a mythic episode rather than naming a specific spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is an invitation to hear the forthcoming sacred narration (śravaṇa).