Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

क्रीडितुं वीरके याते ततो देवी च पार्वती । नानाकथाभिस्चिक्रीड पुनरेव जटाभृता

Transliteration

krīḍituṃ vīrake yāte tato devī ca pārvatī | nānākathābhiscikrīḍa punareva jaṭābhṛtā

Translation

वीरके क्रीडितुं याते ततः सा देवी पार्वती । नानाकथाभिरानन्द्य पुनरेव जटाभृता सह चक्रिडे ॥

Word by Word

• क्रीडितुम्: to play, to sport
• क्रीडितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (Infinitive), क्रियार्थे (purpose)

• वीरके: in/at Vīraka (place/name)
• वीरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• याते: when (he/they) had gone
• याते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकारः (adverb of sequence)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवी-विशेषण/समनाम

• नाना: various, many kinds of
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयुक्तम्; बहुविध-विशेषण (indeclinable-like adjective)

• कथाभिः: with stories, by conversations
• कथाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• चिक्रीड: played, sported
• चिक्रीड: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरावृत्ति-बोधक (adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• जटाभृता: with the matted-haired one (Śiva)
• जटाभृता: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत् (धातु/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जटां बिभर्ति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moonlit, tranquil scene: Pārvatī and the matted-haired Śiva seated together, exchanging many delightful tales; the atmosphere is intimate and playful, with subtle ascetic markers (jaṭā, rudrākṣa) softened by domestic warmth.

Characters & Entities

• Vīraka
• Devī Pārvatī
• Jaṭābhṛt (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa portrays divine līlā—sacred play—as a way to reveal intimacy, harmony, and auspiciousness in the divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description of divine interaction.