Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

यदामृतं पातुकामो राहुः परमदुर्जयः । चन्द्रार्काभ्यां प्रकथितो विष्णोरमिततेजसः

Transliteration

yadāmṛtaṃ pātukāmo rāhuḥ paramadurjayaḥ | candrārkābhyāṃ prakathito viṣṇoramitatejasaḥ

Translation

जेव्हा परमदुर्जय राहू अमृत पिण्यास उद्यत झाला, तेव्हा चंद्र व सूर्य यांनी त्याची बातमी अमिततेजस्वी विष्णूला सांगितली.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/relative adverb: when)

• अमृतम्: nectar
• अमृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पातुकामः: desirous to drink
• पातुकामः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पा (धातु) + तुमुन् (प्रत्यय) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-समास (पातुम्+कामः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; इच्छार्थक

• राहुः: Rāhu
• राहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परमदुर्जयः: most difficult to conquer
• परमदुर्जयः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (परमः दुर्जयः)

• चन्द्रार्काभ्याम्: by the Moon and the Sun
• चन्द्रार्काभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व (चन्द्रः च अर्कः च)

• प्रकथितः: was reported/pointed out
• प्रकथितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कथ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• अमिततेजसः: of (him) whose splendor is immeasurable
• अमिततेजसः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (अमितं तेजो यस्य सः) विष्णोः विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāhu reaches for amṛta; the Moon and Sun point him out; Viṣṇu, blazing with immeasurable splendor, turns with decisive focus—justice about to strike.

Characters & Entities

• Rāhu
• Candra
• Sūrya
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in divine rites, guardianship and truthful reporting protect sacred order; adharma is checked through awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred geography frames the narrative; the amṛta episode supports later glorification and naming of local holy spots.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is narrative, explaining how the deception was exposed.