Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

नमस्कृत्यात्मगुरुवे ध्यात्वा देवमुमापतिम् । नारायणं च लक्ष्मीशं ब्रह्माणं च विनायकम्

Transliteration

namaskṛtyātmaguruve dhyātvā devamumāpatim | nārāyaṇaṃ ca lakṣmīśaṃ brahmāṇaṃ ca vināyakam

Translation

Nachdem man dem eigenen geistlichen Lehrer Ehrerbietung erwiesen und den Herrn Umāpati (Śiva) betrachtet hat, verehre man auch Nārāyaṇa, den Herrn der Lakṣmī (Viṣṇu), Brahmā und Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa).

Word by Word

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: कृ; उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद: नमस् (नमस्कार-), क्रियाविशेषणभावः

• आत्मगुरुवे: to (one's) spiritual teacher
• आत्मगुरुवे: Sampradana (Recipient/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः गुरुः)

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated on
• ध्यात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: ध्यै, क्रियाविशेषणभावः

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उमापतिम्: Umā's lord (Śiva)
• उमापतिम्: Karman (Object; apposition to देवम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (उमायाः पतिः)

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• लक्ष्मीशम्: Lord of Lakṣmī (Viṣṇu)
• लक्ष्मीशम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लक्ष्म्याः ईशः)

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विनायकम्: Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• विनायकम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (narrative instruction within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated sādhaka at dawn, hands in añjali, visualizing a lineage-guru behind him; before him appear Śiva with Umā, Viṣṇu with Lakṣmī, four-faced Brahmā on lotus, and Gaṇeśa as the remover of obstacles—arranged as a protective maṇḍala around the reciter and manuscript.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Śiva (Umāpati)
• Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)
• Lakṣmī
• Brahmā
• Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Begin all sacred practice with reverence to the guru and with meditation on the divine, honoring the major deities with a harmonizing (Smārta) spirit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a general dharmic preface for worship and practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guru-vandana (bowing to the guru) and dhyāna (meditation), followed by devotional salutation to key deities.