Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तद्वदस्व विभो विष्णो न मिथ्या यदि केशव । श्रद्दधामि न चैवाहं रूपस्यास्य कथंचन

Transliteration

tadvadasva vibho viṣṇo na mithyā yadi keśava | śraddadhāmi na caivāhaṃ rūpasyāsya kathaṃcana

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഹേ സർവ്വവ്യാപി വിഷ്ണോ, ഹേ കേശവാ—ഇത് മിഥ്യയല്ലെങ്കിൽ എനിക്ക് പറയണമേ. എനിക്ക് ശ്രദ്ധയുണ്ട്; എങ്കിലും ഈ രൂപത്തെ എങ്ങനെയും ശരിയായി ഗ്രഹിക്കാനാവുന്നില്ല।

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशः (that)

• vadasva: tell (me)
• vadasva: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• vibho: O Lord, O mighty one
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viṣṇo: O Viṣṇu
• viṣṇo: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• mithyā: falsely, untrue
• mithyā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mithyā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम्/विशेषणार्थे (falsely)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्ययम् (conditional particle)

• keśava: O Keśava
• keśava: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śraddadhāmi: I believe, I have faith
• śraddadhāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śrad-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• rūpasya: of the form
• rūpasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशः (of this)

• kathaṃcana: in any way, at all
• kathaṃcana: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; नकारेण सह ‘कथंचन’ = कदापि/कथमपि (in any way/ever)

Speaker

Śrī (Lakṣmī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, filled with faith yet overwhelmed, pleads with Viṣṇu to explain the truth of the cosmic form; the emotional center is humility before the incomprehensible.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Viṣṇu (Keśava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith can coexist with awe and incomprehension; the Infinite surpasses the grasp of ordinary understanding and is known by revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the Revākhaṇḍa dialogue centered on divine vision.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on theological inquiry and the limits of cognition regarding divine form.