Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । नतोस्म्यहं देवमनाथमव्ययं प्रधानमव्यक्तगुणं महांतम् । अकारणं कारणकारणं परं शिवं चिदानंदमयं प्रशांतम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | natosmyahaṃ devamanāthamavyayaṃ pradhānamavyaktaguṇaṃ mahāṃtam | akāraṇaṃ kāraṇakāraṇaṃ paraṃ śivaṃ cidānaṃdamayaṃ praśāṃtam

Translation

قال الملك: أنحني للإله الذي لا مُعين له ومع ذلك هو عونُ الجميع، الذي لا يفنى؛ هو البرادهانا الأولى، العظيم الواسع، ذو الصفات غير المتجلّية؛ هو الذي بلا سبب، سببُ الأسباب كلّها؛ شيفا الأعلى، قوامُه الوعيُ والنعيم، الساكنُ سلامًا تامًّا.

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच्/वचन) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nataḥ: bowed, prostrated
• nataḥ: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nam (नम्/नमन) (धातु) → nata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (I am) bowed

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस्/भू) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devam: the God
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• anātham: without a protector; independent
• anātham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• avyayam: imperishable
• avyayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• pradhānam: Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• pradhānam: Karma (Apposition object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• avyakta-guṇam: with unmanifest qualities
• avyakta-guṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyakta (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (having unmanifest qualities); विशेषण

• mahāntam: great
• mahāntam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• akāraṇam: causeless
• akāraṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• kāraṇa-kāraṇam: the cause of causes
• kāraṇa-kāraṇam: Karma (Apposition object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (cause of causes)

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• cit-ānanda-mayam: made of consciousness and bliss
• cit-ānanda-mayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cit (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (consisting of consciousness and bliss); विशेषण

• praśāntam: perfectly tranquil
• praśāntam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praśānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Rājā (the King)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (addressed), with the divine assembly as witness

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, hands folded, speaks a profound stotra; behind him Śiva appears as both personal deity and vast, tranquil cosmic principle—halo expanding into a luminous void, suggesting nirguṇa-cidānanda while retaining Śiva’s iconic form.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pradhāna (Sāṃkhya concept, as epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is praised as the supreme, self-sufficient reality—beyond manifestation—yet the source of all causation and peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse is a metaphysical stuti emphasizing Śiva-tattva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a devotional salutation (namaskāra) and theological praise.