Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । जय त्वं देवदेवेश जयोमार्धशरीरधृक् । वृषासन महाबाहो शशाङ्ककृतभूषण

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | jaya tvaṃ devadeveśa jayomārdhaśarīradhṛk | vṛṣāsana mahābāho śaśāṅkakṛtabhūṣaṇa

Translation

Die Devas sprachen: Sieg Dir, o Herr der Herren der Götter! Sieg Dir, der Umā als die Hälfte Deines Leibes trägt. O Stier-Reiter, du Mächtigarmiger, dessen Schmuck der Mond ist!

Word by Word

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• jaya: be victorious / victory to you
• jaya: Sambodhana-prayoga (Benedictive address)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• devadeveśa: O Lord of the gods
• devadeveśa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + deveśa (प्रातिपदिक); deveśa = deva + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• jaya: be victorious
• jaya: Sambodhana-prayoga (Benedictive address)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• umā: Umā (Pārvatī)
• umā: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ardhaśarīradhṛk: bearer of half (Umā as) body
• ardhaśarīradhṛk: Viśeṣya (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha + śarīra + dhṛk (प्रातिपदिक); dhṛk < dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vṛṣāsana: O bull-seated one
• vṛṣāsana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa + āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• mahābāho: O mighty-armed one
• mahābāho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• śaśāṅkakṛtabhūṣaṇa: O one whose ornament is the moon
• śaśāṅkakṛtabhūṣaṇa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaśāṅka + kṛta + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Devas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial assembly of Devas with folded hands praises Śiva: half-Umā-bodied Ardhanārīśvara, seated or poised with Nandin nearby, moon adorning matted locks, radiating calm power.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Śiva (Maheśvara/Parameśvara)
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Vṛṣa (Nandin)
• Moon (Śaśāṅka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is praised as supreme, integrating the divine masculine and feminine (Umā-Śiva unity) and granting victory/protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hymn occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting, venerating Śiva as present in that sacred Narmadā landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is stated; the practice is devotional acclaim and remembrance of Śiva’s forms and emblems.