Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

त्वं वपुः सर्वभूतानां जीवभूतो महेश्वर । अस्तौदेवं दानवेन्द्रो देवशूलाग्र संस्थितः

Transliteration

tvaṃ vapuḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ jīvabhūto maheśvara | astaudevaṃ dānavendro devaśūlāgra saṃsthitaḥ

Translation

O Maheśvara, du bist der Körper aller Wesen, anwesend als ihr eigentliches Leben. So pries der Herr der Dānavas den Gott, während er auf der Spitze des göttlichen Dreizacks festsaß.

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वपुः: body; form
• वपुः: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भूत (भू धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: सर्वाणि भूतानि

• जीवभूतः: having become the life-principle
• जीवभूतः: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव + भूत (भू धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: जीवः एव भूतः (having become the living principle)

• महेश्वर: O Maheśvara
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• अस्तौत्: praised
• अस्तौत्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: स्तु (to praise)

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

• दानवेन्द्रः: the lord of the Dānavas
• दानवेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: दानवानाम् इन्द्रः

• देवशूलाग्रे: on the tip of the divine trident
• देवशूलाग्रे: Adhikarana (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + शूल + अग्र (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: देवस्य शूलस्य अग्रे

• संस्थितः: standing; stationed
• संस्थितः: Karta (Predicate participle of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/placed’

Speaker

Narrator (context: Sūta’s narration; verse describes Andhaka)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic scene: the Dānava-king poised upon the sharp tip of a colossal divine trident, hands folded in stuti, face turned upward toward Maheśvara who appears vast and compassionate; the trident glows as a divine axis, suggesting both peril and refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Maheśvara)
• Andhaka
• Trident (Triśūla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even an adversary is transformed through praise and recognition of the Lord as the indwelling life of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative and does not name a particular tīrtha; it supports the sacred-story framework used to glorify pilgrimage contexts in the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes stuti (praise) as a devotional act.