Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

बहूनां कारणेनैव विश्वरूपे हि मंदधीः । हतस्तेन महेंद्रेण सर्वैः सोऽपि निराकृतः

Transliteration

bahūnāṃ kāraṇenaiva viśvarūpe hi maṃdadhīḥ | hatastena maheṃdreṇa sarvaiḥ so'pi nirākṛtaḥ

Translation

ବହୁ କାରଣରୁ ମନ୍ଦବୁଦ୍ଧି ବିଶ୍ୱରୂପକୁ ସେଇ ମହେନ୍ଦ୍ର (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର) ବଧ କଲେ; ତାହାପରେ ସମସ୍ତେ ତାକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ପରିତ୍ୟାଗ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• बहूनाम्: of many
• बहूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘कई/बहुतों’

• कारणेन: by reason/cause
• कारणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• विश्व-रूपे: in the universal form
• विश्व-रूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘विश्वं रूपं यस्य/यत्र’ (universal form)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/indeed/for)

• मन्द-धीः: (one) of dull intellect
• मन्द-धीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘मन्दा धीः’ (dull intellect)

• हतः: slain
• हतः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग—‘slain’

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मह-इन्द्रेण: by Mahendra (great Indra)
• मह-इन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् इन्द्रः’

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘all’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/also/even)

• निराकृतः: rejected/repulsed
• निराकृतः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आ + कृ (धातु) → निराकृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘rejected/repulsed’

Speaker

Śacī (as quoted within Lomaśa’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A somber deva-assembly: Indra (Mahendra) stands stern, Viśvarūpa fallen; surrounding devas avert their gaze, signaling collective rejection; the atmosphere is heavy with moral consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvarūpa
• Mahendra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions done under mixed motives create lasting karmic and social consequences; wrongful killing leads to rejection and disorder.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse provides backstory to Indra’s moral crisis within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; it is narrative background for later remedial acts.