Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अब्रवीदथ तं वायुं विनयावनतं स्थितम् । किमर्थं त्वमिहायातः कच्चित्क्षेमं दिवौकसाम्

Transliteration

abravīdatha taṃ vāyuṃ vinayāvanataṃ sthitam | kimarthaṃ tvamihāyātaḥ kaccitkṣemaṃ divaukasām

Translation

അപ്പോൾ വിനയത്തോടെ തലകുനിഞ്ഞു നിന്ന വായുവിനോട് അദ്ദേഹം പറഞ്ഞു— “നീ ഇവിടെ ഏതു കാര്യമൂലം വന്നിരിക്കുന്നു? ദിവൗകസന്മാരായ ദേവന്മാർ എല്ലാവരും ക്ഷേമത്തിലാണോ?”

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: (he) said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: ब्रू—‘कथने’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वायुम्: Vāyu (the Wind-god)
• वायुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• विनय-अवनतम्: bowed down in humility
• विनय-अवनतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनय (प्रातिपदिक) + अवनत (कृदन्त; अव√नम् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विनयेन अवनतः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त: अवनत (क्त)

• स्थितम्: standing
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘standing/being’

• किमर्थम्: why; for what purpose
• किमर्थम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय; तत्पुरुष (कस्य अर्थः) → ‘for what purpose/why’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• आयातः: have come
• आयातः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ√या (धातु) → आयात (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having come’

• कच्चित्: is it the case that...?; I hope
• कच्चित्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/आशङ्का-निवारक (whether indeed?)

• क्षेमम्: well-being; safety
• क्षेमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• दिवौकसाम्: of the dwellers in heaven (the gods)
• दिवौकसाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक) + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दिवि ओकः यस्य/येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Mahādeva/Bhagavān)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene yet tense mountain ledge: Vāyu stands bowed, palms lowered, while the Lord addresses him with composed authority; distant devas appear anxious in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vāyu
• Divaukas (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s first concern is kṣema (welfare) of beings; divine authority is inseparable from compassion and guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa is the setting of the divine audience; no distinct tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dialogic turning point in the narrative.