Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

देवकार्यं तु मे मुक्त्वा नान्या बुद्धिः प्रवर्तते । गृहाण राज्ञि पुष्पाणि कुरु पूजां गदाभृतः

Transliteration

devakāryaṃ tu me muktvā nānyā buddhiḥ pravartate | gṛhāṇa rājñi puṣpāṇi kuru pūjāṃ gadābhṛtaḥ

Translation

Außer dem Dienst an der Gottheit regt sich in mir kein anderer Wille. O Königin, nimm diese Blumen an und vollziehe die Verehrung des keulentragenden Herrn (Hari).

Word by Word

• देवकार्यं: divine duty / work for the deity
• देवकार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-कार्य (प्रातिपदिक: देव + कार्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘देवस्य कार्यम्’

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

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘मम’

• मुक्त्वा: having left aside
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘मुक्त्वा’ = having left/abandoned

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• अन्या: other
• अन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) बुद्धिः इति विशेष्यस्य

• बुद्धिः: intention / thought
• बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds / arises
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• गृहाण: take / accept
• गृहाण: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राज्ञि: O queen
• राज्ञि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे/अधिकरणे (O queen / in the queen) — अत्र सम्बोधनार्थक-प्रयोगः (vocative sense)

• पुष्पाणि: flowers
• पुष्पाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कुरु: do / perform
• कुरु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गदाभृतः: of the mace-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• गदाभृतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा-भृत् (प्रातिपदिक: गदा + भृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘गदां बिभर्ति’ इति (mace-bearer’s)

Speaker

Devotee/attendant addressing the Queen (speaker not explicitly tagged in this verse; clarified later as connected to the purohita’s counsel)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājñī (queen)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee addresses a queen, offering a handful of fresh flowers; in the background stands an image or shrine of Hari holding the mace (Gadā), ready for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Gadābhṛt (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-minded devotion—placing divine service above all motives—purifies offerings and makes worship fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā sacred geography), though this verse focuses on the act of Hari-pūjā rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Accept flowers and perform pūjā to Hari (the gadābhṛt, mace-bearing Lord).