Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

प्रकृत्या सह संयुक्तः कालो भूत्वा महेश्वरः । विश्वरूपा महाभागा तस्य पार्श्वे व्यवस्थिता

Transliteration

prakṛtyā saha saṃyuktaḥ kālo bhūtvā maheśvaraḥ | viśvarūpā mahābhāgā tasya pārśve vyavasthitā

Translation

ପ୍ରକୃତି ସହ ସଂଯୁକ୍ତ ହୋଇ ମହେଶ୍ୱର କାଳ (ସମୟ) ରୂପେ ଭବନ୍ତି; ବିଶ୍ୱରୂପିଣୀ ମହାଭାଗା ଦେବୀ ତାଙ୍କ ପାର୍ଶ୍ୱରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ଅଛନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• prakṛtyā: with Prakṛti; by/along with nature
• prakṛtyā: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahārtha (Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (समुच्चय/सहयोगार्थ) — indeclinable expressing accompaniment

• saṃyuktaḥ: joined, united
• saṃyuktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + yuj (धातु) → saṃyukta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• kālaḥ: Time
• kālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhū (धातु) → bhūtvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (पूर्वकालक्रिया) — gerund/absolutive: ‘having become’

• maheśvaraḥ: Mahēśvara (Great Lord)
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/सम्बोधनार्थ नाम), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• viśvarūpā: of universal form
• viśvarūpā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• mahābhāgā: most fortunate, illustrious
• mahābhāgā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Pronoun, Genitive, Singular

• pārśve: at the side
• pārśve: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• vyavasthitā: standing, stationed
• vyavasthitā: Kriyā (Predicative/स्थितिवाचक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + ava + sthā (धातु) → vyavasthita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Revā Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara and Prakṛti/Śakti stand together; from their union emanates Kāla—depicted as a vast wheel of time or a dark, star-filled aura. The consort appears as Viśvarūpā, containing worlds within her form, stationed at His side.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Prakṛti
• Kāla
• Viśvarūpā (feminine figure; likely Śakti)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time and cosmic process are presented as Śiva’s expression in union with Prakṛti/Śakti—divinity immanent in the unfolding universe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it continues the cosmological teaching within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.