Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

तदा नभोगता वाणी मेघगंभीरनिःस्वना । उवाच देवा दैत्याश्च मंथध्वं क्षीरसागरम्

Transliteration

tadā nabhogatā vāṇī meghagaṃbhīraniḥsvanā | uvāca devā daityāśca maṃthadhvaṃ kṣīrasāgaram

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആകാശത്തിൽ മേഘഗംഭീര ഗർജ്ജനത്തുപോലെ മുഴങ്ങിയ ദിവ്യവാണി പറഞ്ഞു— “ഹേ ദേവന്മാരേയും ദൈത്യന്മാരേയും, ക്ഷീരസാഗരം മഥിക്കുവിൻ!”

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: “then”)

• नभोगता: sky-borne
• नभोगता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नभस् + गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘गत’ (past passive participle) — “gone to/located in the sky”

• वाणी: voice
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मेघगंभीरनिःस्वना: with a deep, cloud-like resonance
• मेघगंभीरनिःस्वना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ + गंभीर + निःस्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः (मेघवत् गंभीरः निःस्वनः यस्याः) — “having a cloud-deep sound”

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• देवा: O gods / the gods
• देवा: Sambodhyah/Recipient (Addressed/सम्बोधनार्थ-प्राप्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• दैत्याः: O daityas / the daityas
• दैत्याः: Sambodhyah/Recipient (Addressed/सम्बोधनार्थ-प्राप्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मंथध्वम्: churn (you all)
• मंथध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• क्षीरसागरम्: the ocean of milk
• क्षीरसागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — “ocean of milk”

Speaker

Nabhogata Vāṇī (celestial voice; deductively ‘ākāśavāṇī’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrasāgara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast sky over the cosmic ocean; a disembodied, thunder-deep voice reverberates as Devas and Daityas look upward in awe, the Milk Ocean shimmering below.

Characters & Entities

• Ākāśavāṇī
• Devas
• Daityas
• Kṣīrasāgara (Ocean of Milk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A higher directive (daiva-ājñā) can unite opposing forces toward a cosmic purpose, showing destiny’s role alongside effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a local tīrtha; the verse invokes the cosmic Kṣīrasāgara within the Kedārakhaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it is a command to perform the cosmic act of churning the Milk Ocean.