Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

अस्माभिः सह कार्यार्थे भव त्वं मंदराचल । अमृतोत्पादनार्थे त्वं मंथानं भव सुव्रत

Transliteration

asmābhiḥ saha kāryārthe bhava tvaṃ maṃdarācala | amṛtotpādanārthe tvaṃ maṃthānaṃ bhava suvrata

Translation

« Sois avec nous pour l’accomplissement de cette œuvre, ô Mandarācala. Pour faire naître l’amṛta, deviens le bâton de barattage (manthana), ô noble. »

Word by Word

• अस्माभिः: by/with us
• अस्माभिः: Sahakārī/Karaṇa (With us; associative instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (Comitative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (with)

• कार्यार्थे: for the purpose of the work
• कार्यार्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Purpose-context; for the task)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कार्यस्य अर्थे)

• भव: become / be
• भव: Kriyā (Imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Addressee/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मन्दराचल: O Mandara mountain
• मन्दराचल: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास; संबोधन

• अमृतोत्पादनार्थे: for the purpose of producing nectar
• अमृतोत्पादनार्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Purpose-context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पादन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अमृतस्य उत्पादनस्य अर्थे)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Addressee/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मन्थानम्: the churning rod
• मन्थानम्: Karma (Object-complement; become the churning-rod)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मसंज्ञा

• भव: become
• भव: Kriyā (Imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुव्रत: O one of good vows / noble one
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/उपपद) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सु-व्रतः)

Speaker

Bali and/or Indra (joint request on behalf of Devas and Asuras; immediate context suggests their address)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandarācala (mythic)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (or the spokesmen) beseech Mandara to join them; the mountain is envisioned as the future churning staff; hints of the ocean and serpent-rope (Vāsuki) may appear as foreshadowing.

Characters & Entities

• Mandarācala
• Amṛta
• Samudra Manthana (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great outcomes arise from cooperation and sacrifice for a higher purpose (loka-hita).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kedāra Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography, Mandarācala is revered as a cosmic mountain central to the churning myth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it requests participation in a cosmic act (manthana) rather than prescribing a human rite.