Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

शङ्करं स्थापयामास सुरासुरनमस्कृतम् । अच्छेद्यमप्रतर्क्यं च देवानां तु दुरासदम्

Transliteration

śaṅkaraṃ sthāpayāmāsa surāsuranamaskṛtam | acchedyamapratarkyaṃ ca devānāṃ tu durāsadam

Translation

Er errichtete Śaṅkara, von Devas und Asuras verehrt — unbezwingbar, dem bloßen Denken entrückt und selbst für die Götter in seiner Majestät schwer zu nahen.

Word by Word

• शङ्करम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्थापयामास: installed
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिजन्त

• सुरासुरनमस्कृतम्: revered by gods and demons
• सुरासुरनमस्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर + असुर + नमस्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नमस् + कृ (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of शङ्करम्)

• अच्छेद्यम्: unbreakable/uncuttable
• अच्छेद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + छेद्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; छिद् (धातु) यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थक निषेध (negated) विशेषणम्

• अप्रतर्क्यम्: inconceivable/not to be reasoned out
• अप्रतर्क्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + प्रतर्क्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; तर्क् (धातु) यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नञ्-निषेध विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samucchaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• दुरासदम्: hard to approach
• दुरासदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + आसद (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; आ + सद् (धातु) घञ्/अण्-प्रत्ययार्थक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of शङ्करम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha with Śaṅkara-pratiṣṭhā (name not explicit in verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/prince addressee in the chapter

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parāśara completes Śaṅkara’s establishment; devas and asuras are shown bowing from opposite sides; Śiva’s presence is immense, unassailable, radiating beyond conceptual grasp.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva transcends intellect and opposition alike—revered by all beings—and His presence makes the site spiritually formidable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The consecrated Śiva presence at the Parāśara-associated Narmadā southern-bank tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sthāpana (installation/consecration) of Śaṅkara is the key act described.