Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

क्षीरार्णवं नेतुकामा ह्यशक्तास्ते ततोऽभवन् । पर्वतः पतितः सद्यो देवदैत्योपरि ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

kṣīrārṇavaṃ netukāmā hyaśaktāste tato'bhavan | parvataḥ patitaḥ sadyo devadaityopari dhruvam

Translation

Desejando levá-la ao Oceano de Leite, tornaram-se incapazes de fazê-lo. A montanha caiu de pronto—certamente—sobre deuses e daityas.

Word by Word

• क्षीरार्णवम्: the ocean of milk
• क्षीरार्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (क्षीरस्य अर्णवः); पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नेतुकामाः: desiring to carry (it)
• नेतुकामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी (धातु) → नेतु (तुमुन्) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (नेतुम् कामः येषाम्); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (agreeing with ते)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अशक्ताः: unable
• अशक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (agreeing with ते)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक/हेतुवाचक अव्यय (thereupon/therefore)

• अभवन्: became
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पर्वतः: the mountain
• पर्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पतितः: fell
• पतितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) → पतित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with पर्वतः)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (immediately)

• देवदैत्योपरि: upon the gods and daityas
• देवदैत्योपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: देव + दैत्य + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: समासान्त अव्ययप्रयोग; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (देव+दैत्य) + उपरि; स्थानवाचक अव्यय (locative sense: upon)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् निपात-प्रयोग (certainly/indeed)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrārṇava (Ocean of Milk)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas and daityas strain to carry Mandara toward the milky ocean; their strength fails; the mountain slips and crashes down upon them, dust and shockwaves rising.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣīrārṇava (Ocean of Milk)
• Devas
• Daityas
• Mandara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even righteous aims face obstacles; strength without proper support leads to collapse and suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kṣīrārṇava (Ocean of Milk) is referenced as a cosmic sacred ocean; the broader narration remains within Kedāra Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.