Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

देवमार्गे तु यो गत्वा पूजयेद्बलाकेश्वरम् । पञ्चायतनमासाद्य रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति

Transliteration

devamārge tu yo gatvā pūjayedbalākeśvaram | pañcāyatanamāsādya rudralokaṃ sa gacchati

Translation

Wer jedoch den Devamārga betritt und Balākeśvara verehrt—nachdem er das heilige pañcāyatana erreicht hat—gelangt in Rudras Welt.

Word by Word

• देवमार्गे: on the divine path
• देवमार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवमार्ग (प्रातिपदिक; देव + मार्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां मार्गः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative pronoun)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष? actually तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• बलाकेश्वरम्: Balākeśvara (a form of Śiva)
• बलाकेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलाकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; बलाका + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बलाकायाः ईश्वरः)

• पञ्चायतनम्: the five-shrine complex (pañcāyatana)
• पञ्चायतनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चायतन (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + आयतन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च आयतनानि यस्मिन्/पञ्चायतनम्)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• रुद्रलोकम्: Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोकम्: Karman (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्रलोक (प्रातिपदिक; रुद्र + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य लोकः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गच्छति: goes/attains
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devamārga (with Balākeśvara pañcāyatana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A royal interlocutor (addressed as ‘naroत्तम/राजेन्द्र’ in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim arrives at Devamārga, approaches a pañcāyatana shrine with Balākeśvara liṅga at the center, offers flowers, bilva leaves, and water; devas are envisioned along the path; a luminous Rudraloka vista opens above.

Characters & Entities

• Devamārga
• Balākeśvara
• pañcāyatana
• Rudraloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage joined with worship yields transcendent fruit—devotion matures into communion with Rudra’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devamārga, specifically the Balākeśvara shrine and its pañcāyatana sacred seat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Going to Devamārga and performing pūjā to Balākeśvara is prescribed as the means to attain Rudraloka.