Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

येनाद्य रक्षिताः सर्वे कालकूटमहाभयात् । येन नीलीकृतो विष्णुर्येन सर्वे पराजिताः

Transliteration

yenādya rakṣitāḥ sarve kālakūṭamahābhayāt | yena nīlīkṛto viṣṇuryena sarve parājitāḥ

Translation

ആരാൽ ഇന്ന് എല്ലാവരും കാലകൂട വിഷത്തിന്റെ മഹാഭയത്തിൽ നിന്ന് രക്ഷിക്കപ്പെട്ടുവോ; ആരാൽ വിഷ്ണുവും നീലവർണ്ണനായിത്തീർന്നുവോ; ആരാൽ എല്ലാവരും കീഴടക്കപ്പെട്ടുവോ—

Word by Word

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक; सम्बन्धवाचक

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time: today/now)

• रक्षिताः: protected
• रक्षिताः: Karma (Patients; predicate adjective of 'sarve')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'protected'

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनामसदृश विशेषण (used substantively: all)

• कालकूटमहाभयात्: from the great fear of Kālakūṭa (poison)
• कालकूटमहाभयात्: Apādāna (Ablative: from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालकूट + महाभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कालकूटस्य महाभयम्)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• नीलीकृतः: made blue
• नीलीकृतः: Karma (Predicate adjective of 'viṣṇuḥ')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील + कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'made blue'

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पराजिताः: defeated
• पराजिताः: Karma (Predicate adjective of 'sarve')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराजि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'defeated'

Speaker

Unknown (Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; building toward a devotional prescription)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivid recollection of Kālakūṭa: gods and beings threatened, a dark-blue mark signifying poison’s effect, the savior’s power implied; the assembly points to the remembered event.

Characters & Entities

• Kālakūṭa
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In cosmic संकट, salvation comes through a higher divine protector whose power surpasses even the gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-khaṇḍa setting suggests the Himalaya-Kedāra sacred landscape, though the verse highlights a mythic event rather than a geographic tirtha detail.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not in this verse; it sets up the next verse’s instruction on worship.