Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

शिवस्य परमं स्थानं यत्सुरैरपि दुर्लभम् । क्रीडते स्वेच्छया तत्र यावच्चन्द्रार्कतारकम्

Transliteration

śivasya paramaṃ sthānaṃ yatsurairapi durlabham | krīḍate svecchayā tatra yāvaccandrārkatārakam

Translation

Er gelangt zu Śivas höchster Wohnstatt, die selbst für die Götter schwer zu erlangen ist. Dort weilt er in Freiheit und Wonne nach eigenem Willen, solange Mond, Sonne und Sterne bestehen.

Word by Word

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• स्थानम्: abode, place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun) (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (particle: even/also)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• क्रीडते: sports, plays, enjoys
• क्रीडते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada)

• स्वेच्छया: by his own will, freely
• स्वेच्छया: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (स्वस्य इच्छा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (Tatpurusha; Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; used adverbially)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक (indeclinable: 'as long as')

• चन्द्रार्कतारकम्: (while) the moon, sun, and stars (exist)
• चन्द्रार्कतारकम्: Adhikarana (Time-span/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + अर्क + तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व समास (चन्द्रश्च अर्कश्च तारकाणि च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Dvandva; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; collective)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (continuing Śiva-quoted phalaśruti context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhautapāpa

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The soul arrives at Śiva’s radiant realm—an ethereal Kailāsa-like city of light—where divine freedom and bliss prevail; celestial bodies (sun, moon, stars) appear as a cosmic clock indicating the vast duration of stay.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-loka (Śiva’s abode)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest aspiration is framed as nearness to Śiva, surpassing even celestial attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhautapāpa Tīrtha, whose merit is said to lead to Śiva’s supreme realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite here; it states the ultimate fruit of the tīrtha’s merit.