Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा प्रणम्यादौ विष्णुं सदृशरूपिणम् । वीरभद्रोऽग्रतो भूत्वा विष्णुं वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्

Transliteration

evamuktvā praṇamyādau viṣṇuṃ sadṛśarūpiṇam | vīrabhadro'grato bhūtvā viṣṇuṃ vākyamathābravīt

Translation

ଏପରି କହି ବୀରଭଦ୍ର ପ୍ରଥମେ ଶିବସଦୃଶ ରୂପଧାରୀ ବିଷ୍ଣୁଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରଣାମ କଲେ; ପରେ ତାଙ୍କ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଦଣ୍ଡାୟମାନ ହୋଇ ପୁନର୍ବାର ବିଷ୍ଣୁଙ୍କୁ କଥା କହିଲେ।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘एवम्’ = thus

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त/absolutive)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having said’

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (ल्यबन्त/absolutive)
• Form: ल्यबन्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having bowed’

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘in the beginning/at first’

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सदृशरूपिणम्: of similar form/appearance
• सदृशरूपिणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—विष्णुम्; तत्पुरुषः (सदृशं रूपं यस्य)

• वीरभद्रः: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Deśa-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Spatial adverbial/देशक्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘in front/ahead’

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त/absolutive)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having become’

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse connective/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरता सूचक particle): ‘then/now’

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vīrabhadra, fierce yet disciplined, first bows to Viṣṇu whose form is described as akin to Śiva’s; then he stands before Viṣṇu to speak, setting a tense but reverent confrontation.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in confrontation, reverence for divinity remains; the Purāṇic vision often stresses an underlying harmony between Śiva and Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly; the Kedārakhaṇḍa context supports sacred geography, but this line is theological-narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the action is praṇāma (bowing) as a devotional gesture.