Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

अवर्षति च पर्जन्ये सर्वभूतनिवासकृत् । वसिष्ठो जीवयामास प्रजापतिरिव प्रजाः

Transliteration

avarṣati ca parjanye sarvabhūtanivāsakṛt | vasiṣṭho jīvayāmāsa prajāpatiriva prajāḥ

Translation

മേഘങ്ങൾ മഴ പെയ്യാതിരുന്നപ്പോൾ, സർവ്വഭൂതനിവാസത്തിന്റെ രക്ഷകനായ വസിഷ്ഠൻ പ്രജാപതിയെപ്പോലെ പ്രജകളെ പോഷിപ്പിച്ച് ജീവിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• अवर्षति: (it) does not rain
• अवर्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वकं (अ- = न) — Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; ‘does not rain’

• च: and/when
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• पर्जन्ये: when the rain-cloud (Parjanya)
• पर्जन्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्जन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• सर्वभूतनिवासकृत्: the sustainer/provider of abode for all beings
• सर्वभूतनिवासकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भूत + निवास + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; समासः: सर्वेषां भूतानां निवासं करोति इति (maker of dwelling for all beings)

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जीवयामास: revived/caused to live
• जीवयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), णिच्-प्रयोग (causative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, Causative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati
• प्रजापतिः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; समासः: प्रजानां पतिः (lord of creatures)

• इव: like
• इव: Upamana-dyotaka (Comparator marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle) — ‘like/as’

• प्रजाः: creatures/subjects
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parched landscape under a silent sky; people and animals weakened; Sage Vasiṣṭha stands with kamaṇḍalu and japa-mālā, radiating calm; as he performs tapas/mantra, greenery returns, wells fill, and clouds gather—evoking Prajāpati-like creation power.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Parjanya
• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is life-sustaining compassion—supporting others in crisis is godlike conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse praises dharmic protection of beings as a universal Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; the implied injunction is to preserve life through support and charity in adversity.