Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

स्तंभितः शिशुरूपेण देवदेवेन लीलया । वज्रं क्षेप्तुं न शक्नोति बाहुं चालयितुं तदा

Transliteration

staṃbhitaḥ śiśurūpeṇa devadevena līlayā | vajraṃ kṣeptuṃ na śaknoti bāhuṃ cālayituṃ tadā

Translation

ದೇವದೇವನು ಶಿಶುರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಲೀಲೆಯಿಂದ ಅವನನ್ನು ಸ್ತಂಭಿತಗೊಳಿಸಿದನು; ಆಗ ಅವನು ವಜ್ರವನ್ನು ಎಸೆಯಲಾರದೆ, ತನ್ನ ಭುಜವನ್ನೂ ಕದಲಿಸಲಾರದೆ ಹೋದನು।

Word by Word

• स्तंभितः: immobilized
• स्तंभितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तम्भित (कृदन्त; √स्तम्भ् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP) — ‘stopped, immobilized’

• शिशुरूपेण: by/with the form of a child
• शिशुरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिशोः रूपम्)

• देवदेवेन: by the God of gods
• देवदेवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• लीलया: playfully; as a sport
• लीलया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वज्रम्: the thunderbolt
• वज्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• क्षेप्तुम्: to throw
• क्षेप्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु) → क्षेप्तुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (Infinitive/तुमुन्), ‘to throw’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• शक्नोति: is able
• शक्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• बाहुम्: arm
• बाहुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चालयितुम्: to move
• चालयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चल् (धातु) → चालयितुम् (णिच् causative + तुमुन्)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरण (Causative) + तुमुनन्त (Infinitive): ‘to move/shake’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant infant-form of Devadeva stands playfully; a mighty deva (implied Indra by vajra) is frozen mid-gesture, arm arrested, thunderbolt unable to fly; surrounding gods watch in stunned stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Deva-deva (Śiva)
• Indra
• Vajra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme can restrain action itself; surrender and humility are higher than force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is explicitly praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.