Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 138

Devanagari script

शिरः सर्वात्मने पूज्य उमां पश्चात्प्रपूजयेत् । क्षामोदरायैह्युदरं सुकण्ठायै च कण्ठकम्

Transliteration

śiraḥ sarvātmane pūjya umāṃ paścātprapūjayet | kṣāmodarāyaihyudaraṃ sukaṇṭhāyai ca kaṇṭhakam

Translation

Nachdem man das Haupt mit (Verehrung) des «Sarvātman», der «Allseele», verehrt hat, soll man danach Umā ordnungsgemäß verehren—ihren Bauch als «Kṣāmodarā» und ihre Kehle als «Sukaṇṭhā».

Word by Word

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• सर्वात्मने: to Sarvātmā (the all-souled one)
• सर्वात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, dative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (one whose self is all / the all-self)

• पूज्य: worthy of worship
• पूज्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + य (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्/ण्यत्-भावः); विशेषण (worthy of worship)

• उमाम्: Umā
• उमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (adverb of sequence)

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should worship)

• क्षामोदरायै: to Kṣāmodarā
• क्षामोदरायै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षाम + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, dative singular); समासः कर्मधारयः ('slender-bellied')

• हि: indeed
• हि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• उदरम्: the belly
• उदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• सुकण्ठायै: to Sukāṇṭhā
• सुकण्ठायै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, dative singular); समासः कर्मधारयः ('beautiful-throated')

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कण्ठकम्: the throat/neck (region)
• कण्ठकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A paired worship scene: after Śiva, the devotee turns to Umā, offering aṅga-pūjā—touching head, belly, and throat—visualizing her as Sarvātman, Kṣāmodarā, and Sukaṇṭhā beside the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Umā
• Sarvātman
• Kṣāmodarā
• Sukaṇṭhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva and Umā are worshipped in complement: honoring the Divine Feminine through named forms cultivates devotion and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Revā Khaṇḍa’s vrata instructions; it does not name a particular tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After worshipping with the Sarvātman epithet, perform Umā’s aṅga-pūjā with specific names for belly and throat.