Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ललाटे तु महादेवो ह्यश्विनौ कर्णसंस्थितौ । नरनारायणौ शृङ्गे शृङ्गमध्ये पितामहः

Transliteration

lalāṭe tu mahādevo hyaśvinau karṇasaṃsthitau | naranārāyaṇau śṛṅge śṛṅgamadhye pitāmahaḥ

Translation

Auf ihrer Stirn ist Mahādeva; die Aśvins weilen in ihren Ohren. Auf ihren Hörnern sind Nara und Nārāyaṇa, und zwischen den Hörnern ist Pitāmaha (Brahmā).

Word by Word

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/निश्चय-अव्यय (emphatic/causal particle)

• अश्विनौ: the two Aśvins
• अश्विनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• कर्णसंस्थितौ: situated in the ears
• कर्णसंस्थितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थित (स्था-धातु, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); विशेषणम् (विशेष्यः: अश्विनौ)

• नरनारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

• शृङ्गे: on the horn
• शृङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शृङ्गमध्ये: in the middle of the horn
• शृङ्गमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kapilā cow’s forehead bears Mahādeva’s presence; her ears host the twin Aśvins; her horns carry Nara and Nārāyaṇa, with Brahmā enthroned between the horns—shown as subtle divine emblems hovering over each part.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Aśvins
• Nara-Nārāyaṇa
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sectarian harmony is implied: Śiva, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu-associated figures are all seated together, presenting the tīrtha as universally sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā-tīrtha is glorified by depicting its presiding sanctity as the very seat of major deities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse is theological praise establishing why the tīrtha is worthy of snāna, dāna, and darśana.