Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

अहं हि सर्वदेवानां पुरोवर्ती भवाम्यतः । ते सर्वे नंदिनो वाक्यं श्रुत्वा मुदितमानसाः । वैकुंठमागता गीर्भिर्विष्णुं स्तोतुं प्रचक्रिरे

Transliteration

ahaṃ hi sarvadevānāṃ purovartī bhavāmyataḥ | te sarve naṃdino vākyaṃ śrutvā muditamānasāḥ | vaikuṃṭhamāgatā gīrbhirviṣṇuṃ stotuṃ pracakrire

Translation

‘ଏହେତୁ ମୁଁ ସମସ୍ତ ଦେବମାନଙ୍କ ଆଗରେ ଯିବି।’ ନନ୍ଦୀଙ୍କ ବାକ୍ୟ ଶୁଣି ସେମାନେ ସମସ୍ତେ ଆନନ୍ଦିତ ମନେ ବୈକୁଣ୍ଠକୁ ଗଲେ ଏବଂ ପବିତ୍ର ବାଣୀରେ ବିଷ୍ଣୁଙ୍କୁ ସ୍ତୁତି କରିବାକୁ ଆରମ୍ଭ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः (indeed)

• sarva-devānām: of all the gods
• sarva-devānām: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (sarve devāḥ)

• puro-vartī: going in front/preceding
• puro-vartī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puras (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vartin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—अव्ययीभावः (puraḥ vartī)

• bhavāmi: I become/am
• bhavāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कारणार्थक-अव्यय (therefore/from this)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• nandinaḥ: of Nandin
• nandinaḥ: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘नन्दिनः’ = नन्दिनः (of Nandin)

• vākyam: the statement/words
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having heard’

• mudita-mānasāḥ: with delighted minds
• mudita-mānasāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mudita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √mud) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (muditaṃ mānasaṃ yeṣām)

• vaikuṇṭham: to Vaikuntha
• vaikuṇṭham: Gati-Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaikuṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म

• āgatāḥ: having come
• āgatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• gīrbhiḥ: with hymns/words
• gīrbhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• viṣṇum: Vishnu
• viṣṇum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• stotum: to praise
• stotum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: stu (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); ‘to praise’

• pracakrire: they began/undertook
• pracakrire: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Nandin (to the Devas/Suras)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaikuṇṭha (as darśana-destination within episode)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General audience; within story, devas heed Nandin

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandin declares he will go ahead; devas, delighted, travel to Vaikuṇṭha and commence hymns—depict a celestial procession transitioning from Himalayan austerity to Vaikuṇṭha splendor.

Characters & Entities

• Nandin
• Devas
• Vaikuṇṭha
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When guided by righteous counsel, even the gods take refuge in prayer; collective devotion and praise align events toward dharmic resolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kedāra-māhātmya; this verse specifically names Vaikuṇṭha as the destination for praising Viṣṇu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stotra (hymnic praise) to Viṣṇu is performed—devotional recitation as a dharmic act.