Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मविष्ण्वीश्वराः शक्त्या शरीरग्रहणं यया । प्रापिताः प्रथमा शक्तिः पातु मां कनकेश्वरी

Transliteration

brahmaviṣṇvīśvarāḥ śaktyā śarīragrahaṇaṃ yayā | prāpitāḥ prathamā śaktiḥ pātu māṃ kanakeśvarī

Translation

Möge Kanakeśvarī mich beschützen—durch deren Kraft Brahmā, Viṣṇu und Īśvara einen Leib annehmen; sie ist die uranfängliche, erste Śakti.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — 'Brahmā' (member of compound)

• विष्णु: Viṣṇu
• विष्णु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — 'Viṣṇu' (member of compound)

• ईश्वराः: Īśvara(s)
• ईश्वराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — 'Īśvara(s)'

• शक्त्या: by power
• शक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — 'by/through power'

• शरीर: of a body
• शरीर: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — 'of a body' (in compound relation)

• ग्रहणम्: assumption/taking
• ग्रहणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — 'taking/assumption'

• यया: by whom
• यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — 'by whom/through whom'

• प्रापिताः: made to attain
• प्रापिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: णिजन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — 'caused to attain/led to obtain'

• प्रथमा: first
• प्रथमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — 'first'

• शक्तिः: Śakti/power
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — 'power/Śakti'

• पातु: may protect
• पातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 'may (she) protect'

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — 'me'

• कनकेश्वरी: Kanakeśvarī
• कनकेश्वरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनक + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — 'Kanakeśvarī'

Speaker

Garuḍa (stuti/prayer, contextually)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kanakeśvarī as Ādi-Śakti radiating energy; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Īśvara shown receiving bodies/forms through her power—emanation lines or lotus-rays connect them.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Kanakeśvarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest gods function through Śakti; recognizing the primordial Goddess is recognizing the source of all divine agency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context links this theology to the māhātmya of the Narmadā sacred region and its presiding Devī, Kanakeśvarī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it is doctrinal praise used as protective recitation.