Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

वैवस्वतः क्षकारश्च तात कृष्णः प्रदृश्यते । ककाराद्य हकारांतास्त्रयस्त्रिंशच्च देवताः

Transliteration

vaivasvataḥ kṣakāraśca tāta kṛṣṇaḥ pradṛśyate | kakārādya hakārāṃtāstrayastriṃśacca devatāḥ

Translation

‘ବୈବସ୍ୱତ’ ‘କ୍ଷ’ ଅକ୍ଷରଦ୍ୱାରା ସୂଚିତ; ଏବଂ, ପ୍ରିୟ, ‘କୃଷ୍ଣ’ ମଧ୍ୟ (ତାହାରେ) ପ୍ରକାଶିତ। ‘କ’ ଠାରୁ ‘ହ’ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ—ଏହି ତେତ୍ରିଶ ଦେବତା ବୋଲି ବୁଝିବା।

Word by Word

• वैवस्वतः: Vaivasvata (name)
• वैवस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षकारः: the syllable/letter 'kṣa'
• क्षकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तात: O dear/son!
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• कृष्णः: black/dark
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रदृश्यते: is seen/appears
• प्रदृश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• ककाराद्याः: beginning with the letter 'ka'
• ककाराद्याः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ककार + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'ककारः आदिः येषाम्' (beginning with ka)

• हकारान्ताः: ending with the letter 'ha'
• हकारान्ताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हकार + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'हकारः अन्तः येषाम्' (ending with ha)

• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्: thirty-three
• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयस् + त्रिंशत् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा-बहुवचनार्थे विशेषण (numeral adjective)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: priya (addressed as 'dear one')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Sanskrit alphabet arc from ka to ha forms a garland; within it, thirty-three small deity-icons appear as sparks. The conjunct kṣa is highlighted, pointing to Vaivasvata; Kṛṣṇa appears as a dark-blue divine figure emerging from the phoneme-field.

Characters & Entities

• Vaivasvata
• Kṛṣṇa
• Trayastriṃśat Devatāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos and its deities are presented as orderly and intelligible, even mapped onto sacred sound (varṇa), emphasizing mantra-based contemplation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is doctrinal—enumerating deities via phonemes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it supports japa/mantra contemplation by linking sound-units to divine principles.