Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

नृत्यगीतैस्तथा स्तोत्रैर्दध्यौ देवं महेश्वरम् । अन्नं विस्तारितं सर्वं देवस्याग्रे यथाविधि

Transliteration

nṛtyagītaistathā stotrairdadhyau devaṃ maheśvaram | annaṃ vistāritaṃ sarvaṃ devasyāgre yathāvidhi

Translation

Mit Tanz, Gesang und Hymnen versenkte er sich in den Herrn Maheśvara; und nach rechter Vorschrift breitete er alle Speiseopfer vor der Gottheit aus.

Word by Word

• नृत्य: dance
• नृत्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (neuter nominative singular; compound member)

• गीतैः: with songs
• गीतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम् (neuter instrumental plural)

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: ‘thus/also’)

• स्तोत्रैः: with hymns
• स्तोत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम् (neuter instrumental plural)

• दध्यौ: meditated upon
• दध्यौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (perfect); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथम-पुरुषः एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (masculine accusative singular)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (masculine accusative singular; apposition to ‘देवम्’)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (neuter nominative singular)

• विस्तारितम्: spread out, arranged
• विस्तारितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + स्तॄ (धातु)
• Form: वि-उपसर्गपूर्वक-स्तॄ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (past passive participle; neuter nominative singular)

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (neuter nominative singular; agreeing with ‘अन्नम्’)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (masculine genitive singular)

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (locative used adverbially)

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/उपमानवाचक (as, according to)

• विधि: rule, prescribed manner
• विधि: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (masculine accusative singular; in avyayībhāva ‘यथाविधि’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra Śiva-sthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before Maheśvara, devotees sing and dance; one recites hymns while another sits in meditation; a wide spread of food offerings is arranged in orderly rows before the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes complete when inner meditation is joined with outer worship—praise, music, and properly offered naivedya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) sacred region (Revā Khaṇḍa) within the Āvantya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arrange and offer food offerings before the deity ‘yathāvidhi’ (according to scriptural procedure), accompanied by stotra and devotional music.