Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

लोमश उवाच । प्रणम्य परमात्मानं रमायुक्तं जनार्द्दनम् । अमृतार्थं ममंथुस्ते सुरासुरगणाः पुनः

Transliteration

lomaśa uvāca | praṇamya paramātmānaṃ ramāyuktaṃ janārddanam | amṛtārthaṃ mamaṃthuste surāsuragaṇāḥ punaḥ

Translation

ലോമശൻ പറഞ്ഞു—പരമാത്മാവും രമാസഹിതനുമായ ജനാർദനനെ നമസ്കരിച്ച്, ദേവാസുരഗണങ്ങൾ അമൃതാർത്ഥമായി വീണ്ടും (സമുദ്രം) മഥിക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• lomaśaḥ: Lomaśa
• lomaśaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lomaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra + nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• paramātmānam: the Supreme Self
• paramātmānam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (परमः आत्मा); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ramā-yuktam: joined with Ramā (Lakṣmī)
• ramā-yuktam: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramā (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (रामया युक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (janārddanam)

• janārddanam: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• janārddanam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• amṛta-artham: for the sake of nectar
• amṛta-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: amṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (purpose adverb: ‘for nectar’)

• mamaṃthuḥ: they churned
• mamaṃthuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: manth (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• sura-asura-gaṇāḥ: the hosts of gods and demons
• sura-asura-gaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सुरासुराणां गणाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘again’)

Speaker

Lomaśa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakhaṇḍa (narrative frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lomaśa begins a new narrative: devas and asuras bow to Janārdana with Śrī, then resume the churning of the ocean for amṛta—cosmic scale, ritualized action.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Janārdana
• Ramā (Śrī/Lakṣmī)
• Devas
• Asuras
• Amṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great undertakings begin with reverence to the Supreme; divine grace is sought before striving for life’s highest aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Kedārakhaṇḍa framework; this verse introduces a pan-Purāṇic episode (Samudra-manthana) used to illuminate dharma within the Kedāra narrative stream.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription of praṇāma (obeisance) to the Lord before commencing any major rite or endeavor.