Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

गते चादर्शनं देवे वासुकिप्रमुखा नृप । स्थापयित्वा तथा जग्मुर्देवदेवं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

gate cādarśanaṃ deve vāsukipramukhā nṛpa | sthāpayitvā tathā jagmurdevadevaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

أيها الملك، لما غاب الربُّ عن الأنظار، قام فاسُكي وسائرُ الناغا، بعد أن أقاموا هناك الحضورَ المقدّس على الوجه اللائق، ثم انصرفوا إلى مهاديڤا—إلهِ الآلهة، ماهيشڤارا.

Word by Word

• गते: when (he) had gone
• गते: Adhikarana (Absolute locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम्-धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (absolute locative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अदर्शनम्: disappearance
• अदर्शनम्: Karta (Co-absolute in locative construction/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘disappearance/non-visibility’

• देवे: of the god / when the god (was)
• देवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन

• वासुकि-प्रमुखाः: those headed by Vasuki
• वासुकि-प्रमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsuki (प्रातिपदिक) + pramukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘वासुकिः प्रमुखः येषाम्’—sense close to बहुव्रीहि, but used as determinative ‘headed by Vāsuki’)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• स्थापयित्वा: having established
• स्थापयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था-धातु) causative (णिच्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive) of causative ‘स्थापयति’, ‘having established/installed’

• तथा: thus/then
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम्-धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• देव-देवम्: the God of gods
• देव-देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘देवानां देवम्’)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Apposition to object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘महान् ईश्वरम्’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate continuation in next adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Nāga-pratiṣṭhā tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa/nareśvara addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After Śiva vanishes from sight, Vāsuki and Nāga chiefs perform a formal installation at the tīrtha, then depart in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsuki
• Nāgas
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when a divine vision withdraws, devotees preserve sanctity through proper स्थापना (ritual establishment) and remain oriented toward Maheśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha in Revā Khaṇḍa context, connected with nāga devotion and Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sthāpanā—duly establishing/enshrining the sacred presence (likely liṅga or tīrtha marker) before departing.