Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

किं संसारगजोन्मत्तबृंहितैर्निभृतैरपि । यदि पञ्चाननो देवो भावगन्धोपसेवितः

Transliteration

kiṃ saṃsāragajonmattabṛṃhitairnibhṛtairapi | yadi pañcānano devo bhāvagandhopasevitaḥ

Translation

Was nützen selbst gezügelte, feierliche Worte, die nur das Trompeten des vom Weltgetöse rasenden Elefanten widerhallen, wenn der fünfgesichtige Herr nicht mit dem wahren Duft innerer Hingabe verehrt wird?

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use/need)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• संसारगजोन्मत्तबृंहितैः: with the trumpeting of the world-elephant’s frenzy
• संसारगजोन्मत्तबृंहितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + गज + उन्मत्त + बृंहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); रूपक-प्रयोगे (figurative)

• निभृतैः: secret/quiet
• निभृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निभृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective) बृंहितैः इत्यर्थे/समूहस्य

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• पञ्चाननः: the five-faced one
• पञ्चाननः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भावगन्धोपसेवितः: attended/served with the fragrance of devotion (i.e., devotion-scented service)
• भावगन्धोपसेवितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाव + गन्ध + उपसेवित (प्रातिपदिक; √सेव् से क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) उपसेवित; विशेषण (adjective) देवः/पञ्चाननः इति

Speaker

Unspecified admonishing voice within the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative (contextually a devotee/teacher exhorting a deluded person toward Śiva-bhakti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast scene: in the foreground a quiet devotee offers worship with closed eyes and a gentle aura; in the background a chaotic crowd’s loud recitations swirl like an elephant’s trumpeting; Śiva’s five faces remain calm, receiving only the sincere offering.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Pañcānana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer speech or piety is hollow unless it is rooted in sincere devotion (bhāva) to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Revā/Narmadā milieu of the Revā-khaṇḍa, where Śiva-bhakti is emphasized as the heart of the tīrtha’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship/serving Śiva (Pañcānana) with genuine inner devotion rather than mere outward performance.