Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा देवदेवो जनार्द्दनः । उवाच प्रहसन्वाक्यं शक्रमाप्तभयं तदा

Transliteration

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā devadevo janārddanaḥ | uvāca prahasanvākyaṃ śakramāptabhayaṃ tadā

Translation

ครั้นได้ยินถ้อยคำนั้นแล้ว พระชนารทนะผู้เป็นเทพเหนือเทพ ก็ตรัสด้วยรอยยิ้ม กล่าวกับพระศักระ (พระอินทร์) ผู้กำลังหวาดหวั่นในขณะนั้น

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), अव्यय

• देवदेवः: God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देवानां देवः (कर्मधारयः/षष्ठीभावार्थः)

• जनार्द्दनः: Janardana (Vishnu)
• जनार्द्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रहसन्: smiling, laughing
• प्रहसन्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+हस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे

• वाक्यम्: a statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शक्रम्: Shakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्तभयम्: who had become afraid / having obtained fear
• आप्तभयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्त + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—आप्तं भयम् यस्य/आप्तभयः (अर्थे बहुव्रीहिः सम्भवति), अत्र शक्रं विशेषयति ‘भयम् आप्तम्’ इति कर्मधारय-भावः

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

Speaker

Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu (Janārdana) smiles and speaks to a frightened Indra; the contrast between Indra’s apprehension and Viṣṇu’s serene confidence is central.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Viṣṇu
• Śakra
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the king of gods may be shaken by fear, while divine wisdom responds with calm clarity and compassionate confidence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa, associated with the Kedāra (Kedarnath) sacred region of the Himalayas, though this verse itself is dialogic rather than descriptive of a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets a narrative tone for counsel among the devas.