Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 176

Devanagari script

विष्णोस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ऊचुः सर्वे सुरासुराः । न यास्यामो वयं सर्वे विरूपाक्षं महाप्रभम्

Transliteration

viṣṇostadvacanaṃ śrutvā ūcuḥ sarve surāsurāḥ | na yāsyāmo vayaṃ sarve virūpākṣaṃ mahāprabham

Translation

വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ വചനം കേട്ട് എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരും അസുരന്മാരും പറഞ്ഞു—“ഞങ്ങൾ എല്ലാവരും മഹാപ്രഭു വിരൂപാക്ഷന്റെ അടുക്കൽ പോകുകയില്ല.”

Word by Word

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘that’ (वचनम् इति विशेषण)

• वचनम्: statement; words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (पूर्वकालक्रिया), ‘having heard’

• ऊचुः: they said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सुरासुराः: gods and demons
• सुरासुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (सुराश्च असुराश्च)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• यास्यामः: we shall go
• यास्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; लिङ्ग-निरपेक्ष

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘all (of us)’

• विरूपाक्षम्: Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• विरूपाक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूप + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य सः)

• महाप्रभम्: the great lord
• महाप्रभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास; ‘great lord’ (विरूपाक्षम् इति विशेषण)

Speaker

Suras and Asuras (collective)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virūpākṣa (Śiva) in Kedāra-kṣetra context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (audience; within story: devas and asuras responding to Viṣṇu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mixed assembly of devas and asuras, having heard Viṣṇu, collectively refuse to go to Virūpākṣa; their faces show apprehension, hands raised in hesitation.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Suras
• Asuras
• Virūpākṣa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Awe of the divine can become fear; true devotion requires moving beyond hesitation to approach the Lord with trust.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa context frames the episode, but this verse is about reluctance to approach Śiva, not a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a collective refusal born of fear.