Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

क्षीराब्धेर्मथनं तत्तु अमृतार्थं कथं कृतम् । मृत्युं जयं निराकृत्य अवज्ञाय च मां सदा

Transliteration

kṣīrābdhermathanaṃ tattu amṛtārthaṃ kathaṃ kṛtam | mṛtyuṃ jayaṃ nirākṛtya avajñāya ca māṃ sadā

Translation

امرت کے لیے دودھ کے سمندر کا منتھن کیسے کیا گیا—موت پر فتح پانے والے (مرتینجئے) کو رد کرکے اور مجھے ہمیشہ حقیر جان کر؟

Word by Word

• क्षीराब्धेः: of the ocean of milk
• क्षीराब्धेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षीरस्य अब्धिः)

• मथनम्: churning
• मथनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anaphoric object (तत् = that act)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• अमृतार्थम्: for the sake of nectar
• अमृतार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (अमृताय अर्थः) = प्रयोजनार्थक

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Manner (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/लुङ्-सम्भाव्य प्रयोगे कृदन्तवत्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः—कृ (कृञ्), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाक्ये क्रियापदवत्

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• जयम्: victory
• जयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निराकृत्य: having rejected/repelled
• निराकृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + आ + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अवज्ञाय: having disrespected
• अवज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); ‘अवज्ञा’ = तिरस्कारार्थ

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Time adjunct (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Śiva (Sāmbā), admonishing; narrated by Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devatā-gaṇa (Indra and others)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine speaker recalls the churning of the Milk Ocean, questioning the gods’ neglect of the Death-Conqueror; the ocean and Mandara imagery appears as a remembered tableau behind the admonition.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mṛtyuñjaya)
• Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)
• Amṛta (nectar)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great achievements (like obtaining amṛta) require honoring the divine source; disregard of Śiva (Mṛtyuñjaya) is portrayed as spiritual error.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the contextual scripture-location; the verse links Kedāra’s Śaiva teaching to broader Purāṇic history (Samudra Manthana).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the implied prescription is proper reverence and worship (ādarapūrvaka stuti/namaskāra) to Śiva.