Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

स्वयमेव वृतो विष्णुस्तया पार्थिवसत्तम । मथ्यमाने ततोतीव समुद्रे देवदानवैः

Transliteration

svayameva vṛto viṣṇustayā pārthivasattama | mathyamāne tatotīva samudre devadānavaiḥ

Translation

Maka ia dengan sendirinya memilih Viṣṇu sebagai pendamping, wahai raja terbaik, ketika samudra sedang dikocak dengan dahsyat oleh para dewa dan dānava.

Word by Word

• स्वयम्: of her own accord
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), स्वकृत्यबोधक (of oneself)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अवधारणार्थक

• वृतः: was chosen
• वृतः: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत (कृदन्त; √वृ (धातु) क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (was chosen)

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

• तया: by her (Lakṣmī)
• तया: Kartr-karana (Agent/Instrument/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• पार्थिव-सत्तम: O best of kings
• पार्थिव-सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पार्थिवानां सत्तमः = best of kings)

• मथ्यमाने: while (it was) being churned
• मथ्यमाने: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मथ्यमान (कृदन्त; √मथ् (धातु) यक्-प्रत्यय, कर्मणि वर्तमान)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle), सप्तमी, एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगानुसार; लोकेटिव-अब्सोल्यूट (while being churned)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (then)

• तीव: as if/like
• तीव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक निपात (comparative particle: like/as)

• समुद्रे: in the ocean
• समुद्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• देव-दानवैः: by gods and demons
• देव-दानवैः: Kartr-karana (Agents/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (देवाश्च दानवाश्च)

Speaker

Unknown (deduced: Purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthiva-sattama / nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmī garlands Viṣṇu amid the ongoing churning; Viṣṇu stands serene, radiant, as devas and dānavas continue their labor in the background—cosmic work surrounding a still center.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Lakṣmī (implied: 'tayā')
• Devas
• Dānavas
• Ocean (Samudra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious fortune (Lakṣmī) naturally abides with the preserver of dharma (Viṣṇu); true prosperity aligns with righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.