Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

मेरुमूर्ध्नि पुरा पृथ्वी समवेतान्दिवौकसः । भाराक्रांता जगादैतान्भारोऽप ह्रियतां हि मे

Transliteration

merumūrdhni purā pṛthvī samavetāndivaukasaḥ | bhārākrāṃtā jagādaitānbhāro'pa hriyatāṃ hi me

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് മേരു ശിഖരത്തിൽ, ഭാരത്താൽ ഞെരിഞ്ഞ ഭൂമി സമവേത ദേവന്മാരോട് പറഞ്ഞു—“എന്റെ ഭാരം തീർച്ചയായും നീക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ.”

Word by Word

• मेरुमूर्ध्नि: on the peak of Meru
• मेरुमूर्ध्नि: अधिकरण (Locative/स्थान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे (मूर्धन् पुं); सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘मेरोः मूर्ध्नि’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: formerly)

• पृथ्वी: the Earth
• पृथ्वी: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• समवेतान्: assembled
• समवेतान्: विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘समवेत’; पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; दिवौकसः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दिवौकसः: the gods (dwellers in heaven)
• दिवौकसः: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक; दिवौकस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; (दिवि ओकः यस्य) ‘देवाः’

• भाराक्रान्ता: overburdened
• भाराक्रान्ता: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भार + आक्रान्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘आक्रान्त’; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पृथ्वी इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जगाद: said
• जगाद: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• एतान्: these (ones)
• एतान्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• भारः: the burden
• भारः: कर्ता (Subject of passive/impersonal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अप: away, off
• अप: क्रियाविशेषण (Directional particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अप (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग-सदृश-अव्ययम्/निपातः; ‘अप’ = away/off

• ह्रियताम्: let (it) be removed/carried away
• ह्रियताम्: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (let it be carried away)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः; अवधारण/हेतौ (particle: indeed/for)

• मे: of me / for me
• मे: सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (Dative/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचनरूपम् (Genitive/Dative singular)

Speaker

Śrī Caṇḍikā (continuing explanation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru (Purāṇic)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthivāḥ (kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Meru’s radiant summit, Bhūdevī—personified as a sorrowful yet dignified goddess—stands before an assembly of devas, her posture heavy with fatigue; the gods listen as she pleads for relief from the crushing burden.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthvī (Earth Goddess)
• Meru
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma becomes heavy, the cosmos itself seeks restoration; divine descent and intervention arise for balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Meru is referenced as a cosmic sacred mountain, not a pilgrimage prescription in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.