Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

नमस्ते देवदेवेश नमस्ते करुणालय । नमस्ते भवभीतानां भवभीतिविमर्दन

Transliteration

namaste devadeveśa namaste karuṇālaya | namaste bhavabhītānāṃ bhavabhītivimardana

Translation

Ehrerbietung dir, Gott der Götter; Ehrerbietung dir, Wohnstatt des Erbarmens. Ehrerbietung dir, der du die Furcht vor dem Saṃsāra bei den von Weltangst Erschütterten zermalmst.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/सम्बोधनार्थ-नमस्कारवाचक)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया/चतुर्थी? (दत्तिवाचक प्रयोगे चतुर्थी), एकवचन; अत्र ‘नमः + ते’ इति चतुर्थी-एकवचन (to you)

• devadeveśa: O Lord of gods
• devadeveśa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘देवानां ईशः’

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (to you)

• karuṇālaya: O abode of compassion
• karuṇālaya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘करुणायाः आलयः’

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (to you)

• bhavabhītānām: of those afraid of worldly existence
• bhavabhītānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + bhīta (कृदन्त; √bhī (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (भीत-शब्दः पुं.), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘भवात् भीताः’

• bhavabhītivimardana: O crusher of fear of saṃsāra
• bhavabhītivimardana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + bhīti (प्रातिपदिक) + vimardana (प्रातिपदिक; √mṛd/√mard (धातु) ल्युट्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘भव-भीतेः विमर्दनः’

Speaker

A devotee addressing Śiva as Rāmanātha/Rāmeśvara (contextual hymn in Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Setu/Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at the seashore of Setu folds hands before a radiant Śiva-liṅga (Rāmanātha), with waves, conch-sounds, and a halo of compassion; the atmosphere conveys fear dissolving into serenity.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devadeveśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in Śiva as compassion itself dissolves the fear of saṃsāra and steadies the devotee toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram (Rāmanātha–Rāmeśvara kṣetra), praised in the Setukhaṇḍa as a place where Śiva grants protection and release from worldly fear.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse functions as a salutation (namas) and devotional praise.