Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

योजयेच्छूलिनं भक्त्या द्वात्रिंशद्बहुरूपिणम् । देहपाते शिवं गच्छेदिति मे निश्चयो नृप

Transliteration

yojayecchūlinaṃ bhaktyā dvātriṃśadbahurūpiṇam | dehapāte śivaṃ gacchediti me niścayo nṛpa

Translation

وبالتعبّد ينبغي أن يتّحد (بالعبادة والتأمّل) مع الربّ حامل الرمح الثلاثي، المتجلّي في اثنين وثلاثين هيئة. وعند سقوط الجسد يبلغ إلى شيفا—هذا يقيني الراسخ، أيها الملك.

Word by Word

• योजयेत्: should unite/engage (in)
• योजयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense in usage = "should join/appoint/meditate upon"

• शूलिनम्: the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; epithet of Śiva

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वात्रिंशत्: thirty-two
• द्वात्रिंशत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वात्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-शब्दः; here in compound with बहुरूपिणम् = "thirty-two"

• बहुरूपिणम्: many-formed
• बहुरूपिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + रूपिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्; here as tatpurusha (बहूनि रूपाणि यस्य) = "many-formed"

• देहपाते: at death (body’s fall)
• देहपाते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहपात (प्रातिपदिक; देह + पात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; "at the fall of the body"

• शिवम्: Śiva / auspicious state
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गच्छेत्: would go/attain
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय (quotative)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; enclitic = "my"

• निश्चयः: conviction/certainty
• निश्चयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piṇḍikā (Revā-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in meditation on the riverbank, visualizing Śiva as Śūlin with radiant aura; subtle depiction of thirty-two emanative forms surrounding the central Śiva, like a mandala.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Chūlin)
• Thirty-two forms (dvātriṃśad-bahurūpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti-centered alignment with Śiva is taught as the direct cause of Śiva-gati (attaining Śiva) after death.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the same Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha context; the site’s power is linked to Śiva-upāsanā performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional upāsanā/meditation on the Trident-bearing Śiva, specifically contemplated as ‘many-formed’ (including thirty-two forms).