Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

भूर्भुवाय नमस्तुभ्यं रामज्येष्ठाय वै नमः । नमस्ते भद्रकालाय कलिरूपाय वै नमः

Transliteration

bhūrbhuvāya namastubhyaṃ rāmajyeṣṭhāya vai namaḥ | namaste bhadrakālāya kalirūpāya vai namaḥ

Translation

سلامٌ لك بصفتك بُهُورْبُهُوفَا، وسلامٌ حقًّا لك بصفتك رَامَجْيِيشْثَا. سلامٌ لك بصفتك بْهَدْرَكَالَا، وسلامٌ حقًّا لك بصفتك صورة كَالِي، أي الزمان ذاته.

Word by Word

• भूर्भुवाय: to (the lord of) Bhū and Bhuvaḥ
• भूर्भुवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूर्भुव (प्रातिपदिक; भूः + भुवः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार/एकवचन-प्रयोग)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Bhava (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• रामज्येष्ठाय: to the elder of Rāma
• रामज्येष्ठाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; राम + ज्येष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रामस्य ज्येष्ठः)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), एव-अर्थे (emphatic)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Bhava (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Bhava (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (enclitic)

• भद्रकालाय: to Bhadrakālī
• भद्रकालाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रकाला (प्रातिपदिक; भद्र + काला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; देवी-नाम

• कलिरूपाय: to the one whose form is Kali
• कलिरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिरूप (प्रातिपदिक; कलि + रूप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कलिस्य रूपम्)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), एव-अर्थे

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Bhava (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (continuing the Śaiva stotra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra Śaiva-stuti sequence

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suvrata/anagha addressed in the surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composite iconography: Śiva as cosmic pillar spanning earth and mid-world, with a fierce Bhadrakāla aspect at the periphery; a wheel of time behind; devotee saluting at a river ghat.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūrbhuva (epithet)
• Rāmajyeṣṭha (epithet)
• Bhadrakāla
• Kāli/Kāli-rūpa (as Time/age form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord encompasses worlds and time itself; recognizing Him as Kāla grants spiritual steadiness beyond change.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily a stotra to Śiva within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative rather than a direct place-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of divine names and salutations (namas) as worship.