Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

करमालंब्य विष्णोश्च वृषभं रुरुहेशनैः । ततश्च वसवो देवाः शूलं तस्य न्यवेदयन्

Transliteration

karamālaṃbya viṣṇośca vṛṣabhaṃ ruruheśanaiḥ | tataśca vasavo devāḥ śūlaṃ tasya nyavedayan

Translation

Hinawakan niya ang kamay ni Viṣṇu at dahan-dahang sumakay sa toro. Pagkaraan, ang mga Vasu na mga diyos ay naghandog sa kanya ng tridenteng trisula.

Word by Word

• करम्: hand
• करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• आलम्ब्य: having grasped/held
• आलम्ब्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund/absolutive), ‘having held/leaned on’; उपसर्गः आ-

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• वृषभम्: the bull (Nandin)
• वृषभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रुरुहे: mounted, climbed
• रुरुहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक: ‘slowly/gradually’)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक: ‘then’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• वसवः: the Vasus
• वसवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वसवः इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• शूलम्: trident
• शूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तस्य: to him / of him
• तस्य: Sampradana/Relation (Recipient relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न्यवेदयन्: presented, offered
• न्यवेदयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः नि- (न्यादेशः)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, holding Viṣṇu’s hand, slowly mounts the bull (Nandin/Vṛṣabha). The Vasus approach in reverence and present the trident—an investiture scene of divine authority and readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vasus
• Śiva (implied by trident and bull)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine order is established through reverent cooperation—Viṣṇu assists, and the gods honor Śiva with his emblem, showing harmony among deities in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a cosmic-mahātmya scene within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes auspicious divine symbols (Nandin and the trident) rather than a specific vow, bath, or donation.