Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्य देवाधिदेवस्य वेदगर्भस्य संयुगे । शङ्खचक्रधरस्येशा नाहं सर्वे सुरासुराः

Transliteration

tasya devādhidevasya vedagarbhasya saṃyuge | śaṅkhacakradharasyeśā nāhaṃ sarve surāsurāḥ

Translation

Im Kampf mit jenem Gott über allen Göttern—Viṣṇu, dem Schoß der Veden, der Muschel und Diskus trägt—bin weder ich noch alle Götter und Asuras zusammen sein Herr.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवाधिदेवस्य: of the God above gods
• देवाधिदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + अधिदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अधिदेवः देवेषु/देवानाम् अधि)

• वेदगर्भस्य: of the one whose essence is the Veda
• वेदगर्भस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वेदः गर्भः यस्य)

• संयुगे: in battle/in the encounter
• संयुगे: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शङ्खचक्रधरस्य: of the bearer of conch and discus
• शङ्खचक्रधरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख + चक्र + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शङ्खं च चक्रं च धरति)

• ईशा: the mistress/lady (I, as a female speaker)
• ईशा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सुरासुराः: gods and demons
• सुरासुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (सुराश्च असुराश्च)

Speaker

Īśvara / Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kambu-tīrtha (foreshadowed; named explicitly in 120.20)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (address appears later in 120.20; discourse likely directed to him across the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic battlefield tableau: Viṣṇu as Śaṅkha-cakra-dhara radiating Vedic light, while gods and asuras stand awed, acknowledging his unmasterable sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Śaṅkhacakradhara)
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Sura
• Asura
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic power is subordinate to the sustaining Lord; the verse stresses reverence for Hari as the Vedic ground of order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it is theological within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal clarification about Viṣṇu’s unconquerability in battle.