Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

क्षेत्राणि वैष्णवानीह त्यक्त्वा विष्णुरपि क्षितेः । प्रयातो मंदरं यत्र देवदेव उमाधवः

Transliteration

kṣetrāṇi vaiṣṇavānīha tyaktvā viṣṇurapi kṣiteḥ | prayāto maṃdaraṃ yatra devadeva umādhavaḥ

Translation

ഭൂമിയിലെ തന്റെ വൈഷ്ണവ ക്ഷേത്രങ്ങളെ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് വിഷ്ണുവും മന്ദരത്തിലേക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടു; അവിടെ ദേവദേവനായ ഉമാധവൻ (ഉമാസഹിത ശിവൻ) വിരാജിച്ചിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• क्षेत्राणि: holy places/fields
• क्षेत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• वैष्णवानि: Vaiṣṇava (of Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; qualifying क्षेत्राणि

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• त्यक्त्वा: having left
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) ‘also’

• क्षितेः: from the earth
• क्षितेः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; ablative ‘from the earth’

• प्रयातः: departed/went forth
• प्रयातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + या (धातु) → प्रयात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; qualifying विष्णुः

• मन्दरम्: to Mandara
• मन्दरम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb)

• देवदेवः: God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘देवानां देवः’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; epithet of उमाधवः

• उमाधवः: Umā’s husband (Śiva)
• उमाधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘उमायाः धवः’ (husband of Umā); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara (as Umādhava-sannidhāna-sthala)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (and listeners)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu departs from various Vaiṣṇava tīrthas (suggested by symbolic temple silhouettes) and journeys to Mandara; at Mandara, Śiva with Umā (Umādhava) is enthroned or present in radiant union, receiving Viṣṇu’s approach with mutual honor.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Mandara
• Umādhava (Śiva)
• Umā
• Vaiṣṇava kṣetras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The narrative underscores Śiva’s supreme magnetism in sacred geography: even Viṣṇu honors the locus of the Deva-deva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mandara mountain as the place graced by Umādhava (Śiva with Umā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes pilgrimage-like movement of deities toward a sanctified location.