Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

सुतले किं नु मे कार्यं देवदेव वदस्व मे । तिष्ठामि तव सांनिध्ये नान्यथा वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

sutale kiṃ nu me kāryaṃ devadeva vadasva me | tiṣṭhāmi tava sāṃnidhye nānyathā vaktumarhasi

Translation

“اے دیوتاؤں کے دیوتا! سُتَل میں میرا کیا کام ہے؟ مجھے بتائیے۔ میں تو آپ کی حضوری میں رہتا ہوں؛ آپ کو اس کے خلاف بات نہیں کرنی چاہیے۔”

Word by Word

• सुतले: in Sutala
• सुतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (प्रश्नवाचक)

• नु: indeed/then (question particle)
• नु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्न/अनुनयार्थक निपात (interrogative particle)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)

• कार्यम्: task, duty
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• देवदेव: O God of gods
• देवदेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• वदस्व: tell (me)
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)

• तिष्ठामि: I stay/stand
• तिष्ठामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सांनिध्ये: in (your) presence
• सांनिध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांनिध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: otherwise)

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (Infinitive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• अर्हसि: you ought/are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Bali

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu (Devadeva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali, humbled yet steadfast, questions Viṣṇu with folded hands: he desires to remain in the Lord’s presence and asks the meaning of Sutala; the Asura court watches in silence.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Devadeva
• Sutala
• Sāṃnidhya (divine presence)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true devotee values the Lord’s presence above any realm, rank, or comfort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No pilgrimage site is praised; Sutala is referenced as a cosmic realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a devotional request for unwavering nearness to the Lord.