Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 174

Devanagari script

एवं नानाविधान्धर्मान्महाकालस्य फाल्गुन । वदतो ध्वनिराकाशे सुमहानभ्यजायत

Transliteration

evaṃ nānāvidhāndharmānmahākālasya phālguna | vadato dhvanirākāśe sumahānabhyajāyata

Translation

ହେ ଫାଲ୍ଗୁନ! ମହାକାଳ ଏହିପରି ନାନାବିଧ ଧର୍ମ କହୁଥିବାବେଳେ, ଆକାଶରେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ମହାନ ଧ୍ୱନି ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक)

• nānā-vidhān: various kinds of
• nānā-vidhān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (नाना अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (विध प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः — “of various kinds” (qualifying dharmān)

• dharmān: dharmas/duties
• dharmān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (धर्म प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनम्

• mahākālasya: of Mahākāla
• mahākālasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahākāla (महाकाल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनम्

• phālguna: O Phālguna (Arjuna)
• phālguna: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phālguna (फाल्गुन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनम्

• vadataḥ: of (him) speaking
• vadataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (वद् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; षष्ठी एकवचनम् — “of (him) speaking”

• dhvaniḥ: a sound
• dhvaniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvani (ध्वनि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनम्

• ākāśe: in the sky
• ākāśe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākāśa (आकाश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनम्

• su-mahān: very great
• su-mahān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (सु उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mahant (महत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनम् — “very great” (qualifying dhvaniḥ)

• abhyajāyata: arose
• abhyajāyata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम् — “arose/was produced”

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahākāla speaking; the sky above ripples with a vast reverberation—celestial drums, swirling clouds, light rays; listeners look upward in wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Phālguna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is proclaimed with devotion, the cosmos itself responds—divine signs affirm sacred speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla is the central sacred presence; the passage aligns with Mahākāla’s shrine-mahātmya tradition (classically associated with Ujjayinī/Ujjain).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly here; it sets the scene with a celestial omen preceding divine assembly and blessings.