Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्य देवाधिदेवस्य वेदगर्भस्य संयुगे । शङ्खचक्रधरस्येशा नाहं सर्वे सुरासुराः

Transliteration

tasya devādhidevasya vedagarbhasya saṃyuge | śaṅkhacakradharasyeśā nāhaṃ sarve surāsurāḥ

Translation

في القتال مع ذلك الإله فوق الآلهة—فيشنو، رحمُ الفيدات، حاملُ الصدفة والقرص—لستُ أنا، ولا جميعُ الآلهة والشياطين معًا، سيّدَه أو متسلّطًا عليه.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवाधिदेवस्य: of the God above gods
• देवाधिदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + अधिदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अधिदेवः देवेषु/देवानाम् अधि)

• वेदगर्भस्य: of the one whose essence is the Veda
• वेदगर्भस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वेदः गर्भः यस्य)

• संयुगे: in battle/in the encounter
• संयुगे: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शङ्खचक्रधरस्य: of the bearer of conch and discus
• शङ्खचक्रधरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख + चक्र + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शङ्खं च चक्रं च धरति)

• ईशा: the mistress/lady (I, as a female speaker)
• ईशा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सुरासुराः: gods and demons
• सुरासुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (सुराश्च असुराश्च)

Speaker

Īśvara / Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kambu-tīrtha (foreshadowed; named explicitly in 120.20)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (address appears later in 120.20; discourse likely directed to him across the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic battlefield tableau: Viṣṇu as Śaṅkha-cakra-dhara radiating Vedic light, while gods and asuras stand awed, acknowledging his unmasterable sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Śaṅkhacakradhara)
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Sura
• Asura
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic power is subordinate to the sustaining Lord; the verse stresses reverence for Hari as the Vedic ground of order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it is theological within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal clarification about Viṣṇu’s unconquerability in battle.