Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

विलंबस्तत्र सञ्जातो मोहितो विष्णुमायया । तावच्छिवः समायातः कृत्वा गौतमपावनम्

Transliteration

vilaṃbastatra sañjāto mohito viṣṇumāyayā | tāvacchivaḥ samāyātaḥ kṛtvā gautamapāvanam

Translation

Là, un retard survint, car il était égaré par la māyā de Viṣṇu. Cependant Śiva arriva, après avoir accompli la purification de Gautama.

Word by Word

• विलम्बः: delay
• विलम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सञ्जातः: arose/occurred
• सञ्जातः: Kriya (Event/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+√जन् (धातु) → सञ्जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘arisen/occurred’; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• मोहितः: deluded
• मोहितः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मुह् (धातु) → मोहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘deluded’; (अन्धकः इति कर्तृसंबन्धेन)

• विष्णु-मायया: by Viṣṇu’s māyā
• विष्णु-मायया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तावत्: meanwhile/until then
• तावत्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (until/so long)

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

• समायातः: arrived
• समायातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+√या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘having come/arrived’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• गौतम-पावनम्: the purification of Gautama / (act of) purifying Gautama
• गौतम-पावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक) + पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Andhaka stands delayed and bewildered by Viṣṇu’s māyā; in the same narrative beat Śiva arrives, having completed Gautama’s purification, signaling a turning point.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śiva
• Gautama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine māyā restrains evil, while Śiva restores purity—dharma is upheld through both protection and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The māhātmya frame is Vastrāpatha Kṣetra in Prabhāsa, where such purifying acts are remembered as sacred.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Purification (pāvana) is referenced in connection with Gautama, implying the kṣetra’s power to cleanse impurity.