Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

क्षमाधनेषु क्षितिरूपमग्र्यं शीघ्रो बलवत्सु वायुः । मनुष्यरूपं तव राजवेषो मूढेषु सर्वेश्वर पादपोऽसि

Transliteration

kṣamādhaneṣu kṣitirūpamagryaṃ śīghro balavatsu vāyuḥ | manuṣyarūpaṃ tava rājaveṣo mūḍheṣu sarveśvara pādapo'si

Translation

O Herr über alles: Unter den Geduldigen bist Du die höchste Gestalt der Erde—die Standhaftigkeit selbst; unter den Starken und Schnellen bist Du der Wind, die Kraft der Geschwindigkeit. Wenn Du in Menschengestalt erscheinst, trägst Du königliches Gewand; und für die Verblendeten, o Souverän, stehst Du wie ein Baum—still und unbewegt—und trägst ihre Unwissenheit.

Word by Word

• क्षमाधनेषु: among treasures of forbearance
• क्षमाधनेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (क्षमायाः धनानि/क्षमाधनानि)

• क्षितिरूपम्: the form of the earth
• क्षितिरूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (क्षितेः रूपम्)

• अग्र्यम्: the foremost
• अग्र्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शीघ्रः: swift
• शीघ्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• बलवत्सु: among the strong
• बलवत्सु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मनुष्यरूपम्: human form
• मनुष्यरूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मनुष्यस्य रूपम्)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• राजवेषः: royal guise
• राजवेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज + वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (राज्ञः वेषः)

• मूढेषु: among the deluded
• मूढेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (substantive use)

• सर्वेश्वर: O Lord of all
• सर्वेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषाम् ईश्वरः)

• पादपः: a tree
• पादपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

A devotee/sage praising the Supreme Lord (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa) in Revā Khaṇḍa context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Fourfold allegory: Earth goddess steady and patient; Vāyu as swift figure; the Lord in regal human attire; and a great tree standing unmoved while confused beings bustle around it.

Characters & Entities

• Sarveśvara
• Vāyu
• Kṣiti (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord pervades virtues and powers: patience becomes His earth-like steadiness, strength becomes His wind-like swiftness, and even ignorance is endured under His unmoving support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region in the Revā Khaṇḍa of the Āvantya Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself is a universal hymn rather than a single-tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it functions as a stuti (praise) supporting devotion and contemplation.