Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

एवं स समयं कृत्वा शक्रः स्वार्थपरायणः । बलिना सह चावासीदर्थशास्त्रपरो महान्

Transliteration

evaṃ sa samayaṃ kṛtvā śakraḥ svārthaparāyaṇaḥ | balinā saha cāvāsīdarthaśāstraparo mahān

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ കരാർ ചെയ്ത ശേഷം, സ്വന്തം ലക്ഷ്യത്തിൽ തൽപരനായ ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) ബലിയോടൊപ്പം താമസിച്ചു; മഹാനായ ബലി അർത്ഥശാസ്ത്ര-നീതിയിൽ നിപുണനായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समयम्: an agreement/compact
• समयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वार्थपरायणः: devoted to his own interest
• स्वार्थपरायणः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व-अर्थ-परायण (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + अर्थ + परायण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वार्थे परायणः)

• बलिना: with Bali
• बलिना: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• अवासीद्: dwelt/stayed
• अवासीद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-वास् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अर्थशास्त्रपरः: devoted to statecraft/political science
• अर्थशास्त्रपरः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थशास्त्र-पर (प्रातिपदिक; अर्थशास्त्र + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अर्थशास्त्रे परः)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra and Bali, after concluding a pact, reside together; the scene shows uneasy coexistence—formal cordiality, guarded expressions, ministers and scribes recording terms.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Bali
• Samaya (agreement)
• Arthaśāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even power must operate within agreements; policy (nīti) is shown as bound by pledged word.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is narrative material within Kedārakhaṇḍa; no specific tīrtha is praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on samaya (compact) and conduct shaped by policy.