Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 178

Devanagari script

प्रहस्य भगवान्विष्णुरुवाच परमेश्वरः । मा भयं क्रियतां सर्वैः शिवरूपी सदाशिवः

Transliteration

prahasya bhagavānviṣṇuruvāca parameśvaraḥ | mā bhayaṃ kriyatāṃ sarvaiḥ śivarūpī sadāśivaḥ

Translation

तेव्हा परमेश्वर भगवान विष्णू हसत म्हणाले—“तुमच्यापैकी कोणीही भय करू नका; सदाशिव हे शिवस्वरूप आहेत.”

Word by Word

• प्रहस्य: having laughed
• प्रहस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु) → प्रहस्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (पूर्वकालक्रिया), ‘having laughed’

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘भगवान्’ इति समानाधिकरण

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

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (परमः ईश्वरः)

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेधार्थक), आज्ञार्थे ‘do not’

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• क्रियताम्: let it be done; (here) let (fear) be made
• क्रियताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive imperative)

• सर्वैः: by all (of you)
• सर्वैः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘by all (of you)’

• शिवरूपी: having the form of Śiva
• शिवरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवस्य रूपी/शिवरूपः)

• सदाशिवः: Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सदा शिवः)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Sadāśiva’s abode (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (audience; within story: Viṣṇu addressing devas and asuras)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu smiles gently and reassures the assembly: do not fear; Sadāśiva is auspiciousness itself—calm faces begin to replace panic.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Sadāśiva
• Śiva (as śivarūpī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord who seems terrifying is in truth the embodiment of auspiciousness; fear dissolves through right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra setting remains implicit; this verse chiefly teaches theological reassurance rather than local geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a consoling instruction—“do not fear.”