Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

आत्मना देवदेवेशः शूलपाणिः प्रतिष्ठितः । सर्वतीर्थेषु तत्तीर्थं सर्वदेवमयं परम्

Transliteration

ātmanā devadeveśaḥ śūlapāṇiḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ | sarvatīrtheṣu tattīrthaṃ sarvadevamayaṃ param

Translation

Dort hat der Herr der Herren—Śiva, der Dreizackträger—jene heilige Gegenwart aus eigener göttlicher Kraft gegründet. Unter allen Tīrthas ist eben dieses Tīrtha das höchste, denn es ist von allen Göttern durchwaltet.

Word by Word

• आत्मना: by himself
• आत्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• देवदेवेशः: Lord of the gods of gods (supreme lord)
• देवदेवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवदेवानाम् ईशः)

• शूलपाणिः: the trident-handed one (Śiva)
• शूलपाणिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (शूलः पाणौ यस्य सः)

• प्रतिष्ठितः: is established
• प्रतिष्ठितः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः (is established)

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: among all sacred fords
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha, sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• सर्वदेवमयम्: consisting of all gods
• सर्वदेवमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + देव + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वदेवानां मयम् = consisting of all gods)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakatīrtha/Śūlabheda (sarvadevamaya tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Śūlapāṇi stands on the riverbank, radiating power, establishing a liṅga/tīrtha presence; around the site, faint forms or symbols of multiple deities appear, indicating sarvadevamayatva.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śūlapāṇi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes supremely potent when it is established by Śiva’s own divine will and is regarded as pervaded by all deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A supreme tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography (the Revā/Narmadā region), presented as foremost among all pilgrimage fords.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse emphasizes consecration (pratiṣṭhā) and the inherent supremacy of the tīrtha.