Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततोऽसौ मन्दरं ध्यात्वा चापे कृत्वा गुणे महीम् । विष्णुं सनातनं देवं बाणे ध्यात्वा त्रिलोचनः

Transliteration

tato'sau mandaraṃ dhyātvā cāpe kṛtvā guṇe mahīm | viṣṇuṃ sanātanaṃ devaṃ bāṇe dhyātvā trilocanaḥ

Translation

ಆಮೇಲೆ ತ್ರಿಲೋಚನನು (ಶಿವನು) ಮಂದರವನ್ನು ಧನುಸ್ಸೆಂದು ಧ್ಯಾನಿಸಿ, ಭೂಮಿಯನ್ನೇ ಧನುರ್ಜ್ಯೆಯಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿದನು; ಸನಾತನ ದೇವ ವಿಷ್ಣುವನ್ನು ಧ್ಯಾನಿಸಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಬಾಣರೂಪವಾಗಿ ಕಲ್ಪಿಸಿದನು।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: 'ततः/अनन्तरम्' (thereafter)

• asau: he (that one)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• mandaram: Mandara (mountain)
• mandaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• dhyātvā: having meditated on
• dhyātvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (ध्यै धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having meditated/visualized

• cāpe: in/on the bow
• cāpe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• kṛtvā: having made/placed
• kṛtvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having made/placed

• guṇe: on the bowstring
• guṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• mahīm: the Earth
• mahīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• viṣṇum: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• sanātanam: eternal
• sanātanam: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) viṣṇum/devam

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• bāṇe: in/on the arrow
• bāṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• dhyātvā: having meditated on
• dhyātvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (ध्यै धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having meditated/visualized

• trilocanaḥ: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• trilocanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri+locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः संख्यापूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (त्रयः लोचनानि यस्य)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Trilocana-Śiva in yogic concentration, envisioning Mount Mandara as a bow, the Earth as bowstring, and Viṣṇu as a radiant arrow—cosmic elements hovering as luminous archetypes.

Characters & Entities

• Trilocana (Śiva)
• Mandara
• Earth (Mahī)
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos itself becomes an instrument of dharma when aligned with divine intention—unity of powers restores order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is mythic-cosmic imagery within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes a meditative consecration (dhyāna) of cosmic elements into divine weaponry.