Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

गोविन्दाय नमो नित्यं नमो जलधिशायिने । नमः करालवक्त्राय नरसिंहाय नादिने

Transliteration

govindāya namo nityaṃ namo jaladhiśāyine | namaḥ karālavaktrāya narasiṃhāya nādine

Translation

Ewige Verehrung Govinda; Verehrung dem, der auf dem Ozean ruht. Gruß dem Schreckensantlitzigen — Narasiṃha, dem brüllenden Herrn.

Word by Word

• गोविन्दाय: to Govinda
• गोविन्दाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative singular (to Govinda)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Bhava (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (salutation)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Bhava (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• जलधिशायिने: to the one who lies in the ocean
• जलधिशायिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलधि + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलधौ शायी = one who lies in the ocean)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Bhava (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• करालवक्त्राय: to the fierce-faced one
• करालवक्त्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कराल + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular; कर्मधारय (करालं वक्त्रं यस्य/करालवक्त्रः)

• नरसिंहाय: to Narasiṃha
• नरसिंहाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular; तत्पुरुष (नरः इव सिंहः)

• नादिने: to the roaring one
• नादिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular (one who roars/sounds)

Speaker

Andhaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general invocation)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sage on the Narmadā bank offers añjali; above, Govinda as Śeṣaśāyī on the cosmic ocean, and Narasiṃha with a fierce face, mouth open in a protective roar, radiating golden aura.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda
• Jaladhiśāyī Viṣṇu
• Narasiṃha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is both gentle refuge (Govinda) and fierce protector (Narasiṃha); devotion embraces both grace and guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; the verse is a devotional litany of Viṣṇu’s forms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous remembrance (nityaṃ namo) through repeated salutations.