Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

शाठ्येनापि नमस्कारः प्रयुक्तः शूलपाणिने । संसारमूलबद्धानामुद्वेष्टनकरो हि यः

Transliteration

śāṭhyenāpi namaskāraḥ prayuktaḥ śūlapāṇine | saṃsāramūlabaddhānāmudveṣṭanakaro hi yaḥ

Translation

Selbst ein Gruß, der in Falschheit dem Dreizacktragenden Herrn dargebracht wird, wird zum Löser der Knoten derer, die an der Wurzel des Saṃsāra gebunden sind; so groß ist seine Macht.

Word by Word

• शाठ्येन: by deceit/with hypocrisy
• शाठ्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे; emphatic/also/even

• नमस्कारः: salutation
• नमस्कारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• प्रयुक्तः: offered/employed
• प्रयुक्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past passive participle ‘employed/offered’

• शूलपाणिने: to Śiva (the trident-holder)
• शूलपाणिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलपाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: शूलं पाणौ यस्य (शूल+पाणि); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular

• संसारमूलबद्धानाम्: of those bound by the root of saṃsāra
• संसारमूलबद्धानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार + मूल + बद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: संसारस्य मूलं (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + तेन बद्ध (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष); पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• उद्वेष्टनकरः: one who unbinds/loosens
• उद्वेष्टनकरः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-वेṣṭन + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: उद्वेष्टनं करोति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेतौ/निश्चये; indeed/for

• यः: who/which
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun, Nominative singular

Speaker

Vyāsa (to a Pāṇḍava, i.e., Arjuna/Partha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa (Narmadā-mahātmyā setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a hesitant, even conflicted, namaskāra to Śiva as Śūlapāṇi; from Śiva’s trident radiates light that unties dark knots around the devotee’s heart/root, symbolizing saṃsāra-granthi release.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śūlapāṇi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s grace is so great that even an imperfect act of reverence can begin the unbinding from saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Revā Khaṇḍa’s glorification of Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā sacred region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) to Śiva (Śūlapāṇi), highlighted as spiritually transformative.