Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 172

Devanagari script

समाराध्य महेशानं सम्पूज्य च यथाविधि । का गतिस्तव संभाष्या देह्यनुज्ञां मम प्रभो

Transliteration

samārādhya maheśānaṃ sampūjya ca yathāvidhi | kā gatistava saṃbhāṣyā dehyanujñāṃ mama prabho

Translation

Nachdem er Maheśāna (Śiva) verehrt und nach Vorschrift geopfert hatte, sprach er: „Welchen Weg wirst du nach dem Gespräch mit mir nehmen? Gewähre mir deine Erlaubnis, o Herr.“

Word by Word

• samārādhya: having propitiated
• samārādhya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā-rādh (सम्+आ+राध् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकर्म (having propitiated)

• maheśānam: Maheshana (Śiva)
• maheśānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् ईशानः’ (Maheshana, Shiva)

• sampūjya: having worshipped
• sampūjya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-pūj (सम्+पूज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकर्म (having worshipped)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• yathāvidhi: according to the prescribed rite
• yathāvidhi: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव समास; अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण—‘विधिना यथा’ (according to rule)

• kā: what
• kā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• gatiḥ: goal/state
• gatiḥ: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• saṃbhāṣyā: to be spoken with
• saṃbhāṣyā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-bhāṣ (सम्+भाष् धातु)
• Form: यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘संभाष्या’ = to be addressed/spoken with

• dehi: give
• dehi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• anujñām: permission
• anujñām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anujñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• mama: to me / my
• mama: Sampradāna/Beneficiary (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; प्रथमपुरुष सर्वनाम

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual devotee/king addressing Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā ford)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee completes Śiva worship at a riverside shrine—offerings, bilva leaves, water-pot, incense—then addresses a revered figure, requesting permission to depart.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual worship is completed with humility—seeking the Lord’s consent and guidance rather than acting from ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Revākhaṇḍa, praising tīrthas on the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Proper worship of Śiva “according to rule” (yathāvidhi) and seeking anujñā (permission) at the conclusion.