Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अथोवाच सहस्राक्षं केशवः प्रहसन्निव । एवमेतद्यथा प्राह भवानस्मद्गतं वचः

Transliteration

athovāca sahasrākṣaṃ keśavaḥ prahasanniva | evametadyathā prāha bhavānasmadgataṃ vacaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ കേശവൻ പുഞ്ചിരിയോടെ സഹസ്രാക്ഷൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ)നെ അഭിസംബോധന ചെയ്തു—“അതെ, നിങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞതുപോലെ തന്നെയാണ്; നിങ്ങളുടെ വചനമാണ് എനിക്ക് ലഭിച്ചത്।”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) — indeclinable ‘then/now’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• सहस्राक्षम्: the thousand-eyed (Indra)
• सहस्राक्षम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य) — Masculine, Accusative singular; epithet of Indra

• केशवः: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative singular

• प्रहसन्: smiling/laughing
• प्रहसन्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम् — Present active participle; Masculine, Nominative singular

• इव: as if
• इव: Upamā-dyotaka
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-वाचक) — ‘as if’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — ‘thus’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman/Predicate
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular; here predicate ‘this’

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकार/उपमान) — ‘as/just as’

• प्राह: said, spoke
• प्राह: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘to say’)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• भवान्: you (sir)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative singular (honorific ‘you’)

• अस्मत्: of us
• अस्मत्: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) बहुवचनस्य प्रातिपदिक-रूपम्; समासाङ्ग — first member in compound

• गतम्: directed to us
• गतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of vacaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (अस्मान् गतं) — Neuter, Accusative singular; ‘addressed to us’

• वचः: words, speech
• वचः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd) एकवचनम् — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular; here object/predicate ‘speech/words’

Speaker

Keśava (Viṣṇu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava turns toward Indra with a gentle smile; Indra stands respectfully, hands folded; the atmosphere shifts from crisis to confident planning.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Sahasrākṣa (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine action proceeds through clear counsel and mutual confirmation among the gods to uphold dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of a Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa narrative on divine strategy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is conversational, setting up the ensuing action against adharma.