Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

वम्र्युवाच । दुःखसाध्यो जगन्नाथो मलयानिलसंनिभः । कथं वा बोध्यतां बह्मन्नस्माभिः सुरपूजितः

Transliteration

vamryuvāca | duḥkhasādhyo jagannātho malayānilasaṃnibhaḥ | kathaṃ vā bodhyatāṃ bahmannasmābhiḥ surapūjitaḥ

Translation

வம்ரியா கூறினாள்—ஜகந்நாதரை எழுப்புதல் அரிது; அவர் மலயத் தென்றலைப் போல் மென்மையானவர். ஓ பிரம்மனே, தேவர்கள் வணங்கும் அவரை நாங்கள் எவ்வாறு விழிப்பிக்கலாம்?

Word by Word

• वम्री: Vamrī
• वम्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वम्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दुःखसाध्यः: hard to accomplish
• दुःखसाध्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: साध्य (साध् धातु + यत्/ण्यत् कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दुःखेन साध्यः)

• जगन्नाथः: Lord of the world
• जगन्नाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जगतः नाथः)

• मलयानिलसंनिभः: resembling the Malaya wind
• मलयानिलसंनिभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलय + अनिल + संनिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मलय-अनिलेन संनिभः = like the Malaya breeze)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or/indeed)

• बोध्यताम्: may (he) be made to understand / be awakened
• बोध्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (Brahmā)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सुरपूजितः: worshipped by the gods
• सुरपूजितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर + पूजित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle) √पूज्, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सुरैः पूजितः)

Speaker

Vamryaḥ (a representative; likely the Vamrī leader continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) in the frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Vamrī-queen, hands folded, asks Brahmā how they can awaken Jagannātha, who is portrayed as serene and gently resting, like the cool Malaya breeze.

Characters & Entities

• Jagannātha
• Brahmā
• Devas
• Malaya breeze (malayānila)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s samādhi is profound and not easily disturbed; humility is required when approaching the divine, even for necessary cosmic tasks.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is identified; the verse uses a geographic image (Malaya breeze) as a poetic comparison.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it raises the practical question of awakening the deity for the devas’ intended rite.