Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ययाविष्टः समुज्जह्रे वेदान्कूर्मो जगद्गुरुः । अनयाविष्टदेहश्च बुधो बौद्धान्हनिष्यति

Transliteration

yayāviṣṭaḥ samujjahre vedānkūrmo jagadguruḥ | anayāviṣṭadehaśca budho bauddhānhaniṣyati

Translation

ആ ശക്തിയാൽ ആവിഷ്ടനായ ജഗദ്ഗുരു കൂർമൻ വേദങ്ങളെ ഉയർത്തി പുനഃസ്ഥാപിച്ചു. അതേ ശക്തി ദേഹത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കുമ്പോൾ ബുദ്ധൻ കാലക്രമേണ ബൗദ്ധരെ ദമിപ്പിക്കും.

Word by Word

• यया: by whom; by which (female)
• यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• आविष्टः: possessed; entered
• आविष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle) ‘possessed/entered’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समुज्जह्रे: brought up; lifted out
• समुज्जह्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• कूर्मः: Kūrma (the tortoise incarnation)
• कूर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जगद्गुरुः: the teacher of the world
• जगद्गुरुः: Apposition (सम्बोधन/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of the world’ + ‘teacher’); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अनया: by this (female)
• अनया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• आविष्टदेहः: having a possessed body; whose body is entered
• आविष्टदेहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आविष्ट + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (‘possessed body’); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• बुधः: Budha (the wise one / Mercury)
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बौद्धान्: the Buddhists
• बौद्धान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बौद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• हनिष्यति: will kill; will destroy
• हनिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śakti’s radiance enters Kūrma; Kūrma emerges bearing or lifting the Vedas from peril (often imagined from waters/abyss). A second vignette foreshadows Buddha as a divinely-empowered figure subduing misguided Bauddhas.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma
• Vedas
• Buddha
• Bauddhas
• Śakti (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic preservation of Vedic dharma is depicted as Śakti-driven; divine power works through forms to restore and regulate religious order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the focus is on mythic-dharmic history (Veda-protection).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears in this verse.