Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

श्वेतद्वीपे पुरा दृष्टं मया रूपं तव प्रभो । अजं सनातनं विष्णो नरनारायणात्मकम्

Transliteration

śvetadvīpe purā dṛṣṭaṃ mayā rūpaṃ tava prabho | ajaṃ sanātanaṃ viṣṇo naranārāyaṇātmakam

Translation

اے پروردگار! پہلے شویت دویپ میں میں نے آپ کا وہ روپ دیکھا تھا—اے وشنو! جو ازل سے بے پیدائش اور ابدی ہے—جس کی حقیقت نر اور نارائن ہے۔

Word by Word

• śvetadvīpe: in Śvetadvīpa (the White Island)
• śvetadvīpe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta + dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरणम् (location)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; रूपम् इति विशेषणम्

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartā (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• ajam: unborn
• ajam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (रूपम्/त्वाम् इत्यर्थे) विशेषणम्

• sanātanam: eternal
• sanātanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• viṣṇo: O Viṣṇu
• viṣṇo: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• naranārāyaṇātmakam: having the nature of Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• naranārāyaṇātmakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nara + nārāyaṇa + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śvetadvīpa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee recalls a vision of Vishnu in Śvetadvīpa: a luminous white realm, serene oceanic or ethereal setting; Vishnu as the eternal Nara-Nārāyaṇa essence—majestic yet ascetic, radiating sattvic brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Śvetadvīpa
• Viṣṇu
• Nara-Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s form is timeless and unborn; remembering prior divine visions strengthens present devotion and sacred action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śvetadvīpa is referenced as the earlier place of vision; the current tīrtha remains unnamed in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it provides theological identification of Viṣṇu as Nara-Nārāyaṇa.