Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पदद्वयेन वा पूर्णं जगदेतच्चराचरम् । विहाय तत्स्वरूपं च देवदेवो जनार्द्दनः । पुनश्च बटुरूपोऽसावुपविश्य निजासने

Transliteration

padadvayena vā pūrṇaṃ jagadetaccarācaram | vihāya tatsvarūpaṃ ca devadevo janārddanaḥ | punaśca baṭurūpo'sāvupaviśya nijāsane

Translation

ด้วยเพียงสองย่างพระบาท จักรวาลทั้งที่เคลื่อนไหวและไม่เคลื่อนไหวนี้ก็เต็มบริบูรณ์ แล้วพระชนารทนะ เทพเหนือเทพ ได้วางรูปอันแผ่ซ่านทั่วนั้นลง และทรงกลับแปลงเป็นบตุ (พรหมจารีหนุ่ม) ประทับนั่งบนอาสนะของพระองค์เอง

Word by Word

• pada: of (two) steps
• pada: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन; समासाङ्ग

• dvayena: by a pair
• dvayena: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• vā: or/indeed
• vā: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• pūrṇam: filled/complete
• pūrṇam: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• jagat: the world
• jagat: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशक

• cara: moving
• cara: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• acaram: unmoving
• acaram: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• vihāya: having abandoned
• vihāya: Kriya (Non-finite, prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + hā (धातु) → vihāya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वा (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• svarūpam: his own form
• svarūpam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (own form/nature)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• deva: of gods
• deva: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासाङ्ग

• devaḥ: God of gods
• devaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (devānāṃ devaḥ)

• janārddanaḥ: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• janārddanaḥ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति/कालवाचक-अव्यय (again)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• baṭu: of a boy (brahmacārin)
• baṭu: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: baṭu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• rūpaḥ: having the form
• rūpaḥ: Karta (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (baṭoḥ rūpaḥ)

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• upaviśya: having sat down
• upaviśya: Kriya (Non-finite, prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + viś (धातु) → upaviśya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वा (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having sat down)

• nija: own
• nija: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• āsane: on the seat
• āsane: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After filling the cosmos with two strides, Viṣṇu withdraws the vast form and appears as a youthful brahmacārin Vāmana, seated calmly on his seat, staff and water-pot nearby; contrast between cosmic scale and intimate stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Vāmana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord can pervade the cosmos in majesty, yet chooses humility—teaching that true sovereignty is joined with restraint and dharmic purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage occurs within Kedārakhaṇḍa, thus framed by the glory of Kedāra-kṣetra, even while narrating the Vāmana–Bali episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is narrative theology highlighting the Lord’s cosmic act and subsequent humble form.