Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । नतोस्म्यहं देवमनाथमव्ययं प्रधानमव्यक्तगुणं महांतम् । अकारणं कारणकारणं परं शिवं चिदानंदमयं प्रशांतम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | natosmyahaṃ devamanāthamavyayaṃ pradhānamavyaktaguṇaṃ mahāṃtam | akāraṇaṃ kāraṇakāraṇaṃ paraṃ śivaṃ cidānaṃdamayaṃ praśāṃtam

Translation

Der König sprach: Ich verneige mich vor dem Gott—ohne Stütze und doch Stütze aller, unvergänglich; vor dem uranfänglichen Pradhāna, weit und groß, dessen Eigenschaften unmanifest sind; vor dem Ursachlosen, der Ursache aller Ursachen; vor dem höchsten Śiva, aus Bewusstsein und Seligkeit bestehend, vollkommen friedvoll.

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच्/वचन) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nataḥ: bowed, prostrated
• nataḥ: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nam (नम्/नमन) (धातु) → nata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (I am) bowed

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस्/भू) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devam: the God
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• anātham: without a protector; independent
• anātham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• avyayam: imperishable
• avyayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• pradhānam: Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• pradhānam: Karma (Apposition object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• avyakta-guṇam: with unmanifest qualities
• avyakta-guṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyakta (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (having unmanifest qualities); विशेषण

• mahāntam: great
• mahāntam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• akāraṇam: causeless
• akāraṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• kāraṇa-kāraṇam: the cause of causes
• kāraṇa-kāraṇam: Karma (Apposition object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (cause of causes)

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• cit-ānanda-mayam: made of consciousness and bliss
• cit-ānanda-mayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cit (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (consisting of consciousness and bliss); विशेषण

• praśāntam: perfectly tranquil
• praśāntam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praśānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Rājā (the King)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (addressed), with the divine assembly as witness

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, hands folded, speaks a profound stotra; behind him Śiva appears as both personal deity and vast, tranquil cosmic principle—halo expanding into a luminous void, suggesting nirguṇa-cidānanda while retaining Śiva’s iconic form.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pradhāna (Sāṃkhya concept, as epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is praised as the supreme, self-sufficient reality—beyond manifestation—yet the source of all causation and peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse is a metaphysical stuti emphasizing Śiva-tattva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a devotional salutation (namaskāra) and theological praise.