Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

उत्पतंति महाकाया निपतंति यदृच्छया । मेरुमंदरकैलासा वचसा संस्थिताः स्थिराः

Transliteration

utpataṃti mahākāyā nipataṃti yadṛcchayā | merumaṃdarakailāsā vacasā saṃsthitāḥ sthirāḥ

Translation

Gunung-gunung yang bertubuh besar itu terbang naik lalu jatuh turun sesuka hati. Namun Meru, Mandara dan Kailāsa diteguhkan, berdiri kukuh oleh titah suci (sabda) ilahi.

Word by Word

• उत्पतन्ति: fly up
• उत्पतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाकायाः: huge-bodied
• महाकायाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् कायः येषाम्); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (पर्वताः) इति विशेषण

• निपतन्ति: fall down
• निपतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदृच्छया: by chance
• यदृच्छया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; ‘by chance/at random’

• मेरु-मन्दर-कैलासाः: Meru, Mandara, and Kailāsa (mountains)
• मेरु-मन्दर-कैलासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु + मन्दर + कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार/इतरेतर); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (पर्वतानाम् नामानि)

• वचसा: by a command/word
• वचसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; ‘by (his) word/command’

• संस्थिताः: were established; stood firm
• संस्थिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘were made to stand/settled’

• स्थिराः: steady; firm
• स्थिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संस्थिताः इति विशेषण

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru; Mandara; Kailāsa (as archetypal tīrtha-mountains)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bali

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: gigantic mountains rising and falling unpredictably, contrasted with Meru, Mandara, and Kailāsa standing immovable, fixed by divine decree.

Characters & Entities

• Meru
• Mandara
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Stability in the world is portrayed as a divine ordinance—holy landscapes become reliable abodes for worship and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the broader glorification of the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra region by describing how sacred mountains are divinely fixed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.