Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

महेश्वरः सर्वसुरेश्वराणां मन्त्रैरनेकेखबद्धमाली । मेदोवसारक्तविचर्चिताङ्गस्त्रैलोक्यदाहे प्रणनर्त शम्भुः

Transliteration

maheśvaraḥ sarvasureśvarāṇāṃ mantrairanekekhabaddhamālī | medovasāraktavicarcitāṅgastrailokyadāhe praṇanarta śambhuḥ

Translation

Maheśvara—Śambhu—tanzte, um die drei Welten zu verbrennen, geschmückt mit Girlanden, gebunden aus vielen geheimen Silben und Mantras aller Herren der Götter; und seine Glieder waren mit Fett, Mark und Blut bestrichen.

Word by Word

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• sarvasureśvarāṇām: of all the lords of the gods
• sarvasureśvarāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + sura (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; बहुपद-षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां सुराणां ईश्वराः)

• mantraiḥ: with mantras
• mantraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• aneka-eka-baddha-mālī: wearing a garland bound of many (units)
• aneka-eka-baddha-mālī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + baddha (√bandh + kta) + mālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (one who has a garland bound with many single items/letters)

• medo-vasā-rakta-vicarcita-aṅgaḥ: whose body is smeared with fat, marrow, and blood
• medo-vasā-rakta-vicarcita-aṅgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: medas (प्रातिपदिक) + vasā (प्रातिपदिक) + rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vicarcita (√carc + vi + kta) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य अङ्गं मेदसा वसया रक्तेन च विचर्चितम्)

• trailokyadāhe: in the burning of the three worlds
• trailokyadāhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + dāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रैलोक्यस्य दाहे = in the burning of the three worlds)

• praṇanarta: danced intensely
• praṇanarta: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nṛt (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• śambhuḥ: Śambhu
• śambhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समनाधिकरणम् (apposition to maheśvaraḥ)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu dances to burn the three worlds, wearing a garland ‘bound of many syllables/mantras’; His body is smeared with medas, vasā, rakta—an extreme raudra iconography evoking cremation-ground transcendence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Maheśvara/Śambhu)
• Devas (lords of the gods)
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord transcends auspicious and terrifying forms alike; His fierce aspect upholds cosmic order by ending what must end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it narrates a cosmic vision within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction is stated here.