Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

एवंविधान्यरिष्टानि ददृशुर्विबुधादयः । दक्षोऽपि भयमापन्नो विष्णुं शरणमाययौ

Transliteration

evaṃvidhānyariṣṭāni dadṛśurvibudhādayaḥ | dakṣo'pi bhayamāpanno viṣṇuṃ śaraṇamāyayau

Translation

ഇത്തരം അപായലക്ഷണങ്ങൾ കണ്ട ദേവന്മാർ മുതലായവർ ഭീതരായി. ദക്ഷനും ഭയാകുലനായി വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ ശരണം പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एवंविधानि: of such a kind
• एवंविधानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Plural)

• अरिष्टानि: portents/ill-omens
• अरिष्टानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• ददृशुः: saw
• ददृशुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• विबुधादयः: the gods and others
• विबुधादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle: also/even)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आपन्नः: having fallen into/overcome by
• आपन्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√पद् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle, “having reached”); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आययौ: went/approached
• आययौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas and sages stand shaken amid the disrupted sacrificial arena; Dakṣa, visibly frightened, turns away from the chaos and hastens toward Viṣṇu with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Vibudhas (devas)
• Dakṣa
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear drives even the proud toward surrender; refuge (śaraṇāgati) is portrayed as the corrective to ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse continues the Kedārakhaṇḍa narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights the act of seeking refuge rather than prescribing a rite.