Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तु देवेशः शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः । उवाच मधुरां वाणीं तदा देवं पितामहम्

Transliteration

evamuktastu deveśaḥ śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ | uvāca madhurāṃ vāṇīṃ tadā devaṃ pitāmaham

Translation

So angesprochen, sprach der Herr der Götter, der Muschel, Diskus und Keule trägt, damals mit süßer Stimme zum göttlichen Pitāmaha (Brahmā).

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• उक्तः: addressed/spoken to
• उक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (देवेशः)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• देवेशः: the Lord of gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशः)

• शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः: the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख + चक्र + गदा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शङ्खं चक्रं गदां च धरति)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• मधुराम्: sweet
• मधुराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाणीम्)

• वाणीम्: speech/words
• वाणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पितामहम्: the grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; देवम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण/अपपद-सम्बन्ध (appositive)

Speaker

Narrator (describing Viṣṇu speaking to Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, holding conch, discus, and mace, turns toward Brahmā and speaks with gentle authority; the scene balances majesty with sweetness.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guidance is compassionate and orderly; God’s instruction is conveyed with clarity and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it introduces the authoritative voice that frames later sacred-place teachings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative, identifying the deity and the act of instruction.