Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

प्रेषयित्वा वसिष्ठादीन्पार्वतीं याचितुं मुनीन् । कुंभज त्वं निगृह्णीष्व विंध्याद्रिमिति सोऽन्वशात्

Transliteration

preṣayitvā vasiṣṭhādīnpārvatīṃ yācituṃ munīn | kuṃbhaja tvaṃ nigṛhṇīṣva viṃdhyādrimiti so'nvaśāt

Translation

ครั้นทรงส่งฤๅษีทั้งหลาย เช่น วสิษฐะ ไปทูลขอพระปารวตีแล้ว พระองค์มีพระบัญชาว่า “โอ้กุมภชะ (อคัสตยะ) เจ้าจงยับยั้งเขาวินธยะไว้”

Word by Word

• प्रेषयित्वा: having sent
• प्रेषयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + इष्/इष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वसिष्ठादीन्: Vasiṣṭha and others
• वसिष्ठादीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘वसिष्ठ-आदि’ (वसिष्ठप्रमुखान्)

• पार्वतीम्: Pārvatī
• पार्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याचितुम्: to request (in marriage)
• याचितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थ

• मुनीन्: sages
• मुनीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वसिष्ठादीन् इत्यस्य अप्पोज़िशन

• कुंभज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुंभज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निगृह्णीष्व: restrain / hold back
• निगृह्णीष्व: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विंध्याद्रिम्: the Vindhya mountain
• विंध्याद्रिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विंध्यः सः अद्रिः’

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyasaṃjñā (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्वशात्: commanded / instructed
• अन्वशात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + शास् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vindhya (Agastya-sthāna tradition)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva dispatches Vasiṣṭha and other sages as marriage emissaries, while instructing Agastya to go restrain the Vindhya—two parallel missions: matrimonial diplomacy and cosmic stabilization.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vasiṣṭha
• Pārvatī
• Agastya (Kumbhaja)
• Vindhya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through delegated sacred duty: great sages act under divine command to protect the world’s balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Agastya tīrtha tradition by highlighting Agastya’s world-protecting role that sanctifies sites connected with him.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an injunction (ājñā) within the narrative—Agastya is tasked to restrain Vindhya.