Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अन्तर्दधे विश्वपतिर्महेशः संपश्यतां वै वसुधाधिपानाम्

Transliteration

antardadhe viśvapatirmaheśaḥ saṃpaśyatāṃ vai vasudhādhipānām

Translation

Maheśa, le Seigneur de l’univers, disparut aux yeux mêmes des rois de la terre qui le regardaient.

Word by Word

• अन्तर्दधे: disappeared/withdrew
• अन्तर्दधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर् + धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विश्वपतिः: Lord of the universe
• विश्वपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य पतिः)

• महेशः: Mahēśa (Great Lord)
• महेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् ईशः)

• सम्पश्यताम्: of (those) watching
• सम्पश्यताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पश्य् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) का षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of those who were watching’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis/assurance)

• वसुधा: earth
• वसुधा: Sambandha (Compound member/समाससम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद

• अधिपानाम्: of the kings (lords of the earth)
• अधिपानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वसुधा-अधिपानाम् (of the rulers of the earth)

Speaker

Narrator within the māhātmya (deduced; likely Sūta’s narration in Purāṇic style, though Śiva is the central actor)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśa stands before assembled earthly kings; in an instant he becomes invisible—only a fading aura or lingering light remains as the kings gaze in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Vasudhādhipas (earthly kings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence grants darśana, yet remains sovereign—appearing and withdrawing to teach humility and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene belongs to the Vastrāpathakṣetra māhātmya narrative cycle within Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it describes a narrative moment of Śiva’s antardhāna.