Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तदा शैलो दवैर्दैत्यैः स मंदरः । उवाच निःसृतो भूत्वा परं विग्रहवान्वचः

Transliteration

evamuktastadā śailo davairdaityaiḥ sa maṃdaraḥ | uvāca niḥsṛto bhūtvā paraṃ vigrahavānvacaḥ

Translation

एवमुक्तस्तदा शैलो देवैर्दैत्यैश्च मन्दरः । निःसृत्य स विग्रहवानिव वचः परं जगाद ॥

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner-adverb)

• उक्तः: having been spoken to / addressed
• उक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/qualifier of śailaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे कर्तरि/विशेष्येण सह

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• शैलः: the mountain
• शैलः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दैवैः: by the gods
• दैवैः: Karaṇa/Agent-in-passive (Instrumental; by)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• दैत्यैः: by the daityas (demons)
• दैत्यैः: Karaṇa/Agent-in-passive (Instrumental; by)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta (Subject; apposition to śailaḥ/mandaraḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मन्दरः: Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरः: Karta (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निःसृतः: having come out / emerged
• निःसृतः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Conjunctive qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि: + सृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपसर्गयुक्त

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done)

• परम्: supreme / excellent
• परम्: Karma (Object; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (वचः इत्यस्य)

• विग्रहवान्: embodied / having a form
• विग्रहवान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of vācā/vacaḥ understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective)

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object of uvāca)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अकारान्त-नपुंसक (irregular stem vacas-)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas and daityas stand before Mandara; the mountain ‘emerges’ and speaks as if taking a subtle anthropomorphic form—eyes, mouth, and a radiant aura—while clouds and celestial beings gather.

Characters & Entities

• Mandara (Mandarācala)
• Devas
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation is responsive to dharmic purpose; even nature is portrayed as participating in cosmic duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra Khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape; Mandara is invoked as a sanctified cosmic mountain within Purāṇic geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative setup for the churning episode.