Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

महेश्वरः सर्वसुरेश्वराणां मन्त्रैरनेकेखबद्धमाली । मेदोवसारक्तविचर्चिताङ्गस्त्रैलोक्यदाहे प्रणनर्त शम्भुः

Transliteration

maheśvaraḥ sarvasureśvarāṇāṃ mantrairanekekhabaddhamālī | medovasāraktavicarcitāṅgastrailokyadāhe praṇanarta śambhuḥ

Translation

Maheśvara—Śambhu—danced for the burning of the three worlds, wearing garlands bound from many mystic syllables and the mantras of all the lords of the gods, while His limbs were smeared with fat, marrow, and blood.

Word by Word

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• sarvasureśvarāṇām: of all the lords of the gods
• sarvasureśvarāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + sura (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; बहुपद-षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां सुराणां ईश्वराः)

• mantraiḥ: with mantras
• mantraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• aneka-eka-baddha-mālī: wearing a garland bound of many (units)
• aneka-eka-baddha-mālī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + baddha (√bandh + kta) + mālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (one who has a garland bound with many single items/letters)

• medo-vasā-rakta-vicarcita-aṅgaḥ: whose body is smeared with fat, marrow, and blood
• medo-vasā-rakta-vicarcita-aṅgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: medas (प्रातिपदिक) + vasā (प्रातिपदिक) + rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vicarcita (√carc + vi + kta) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य अङ्गं मेदसा वसया रक्तेन च विचर्चितम्)

• trailokyadāhe: in the burning of the three worlds
• trailokyadāhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + dāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रैलोक्यस्य दाहे = in the burning of the three worlds)

• praṇanarta: danced intensely
• praṇanarta: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nṛt (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• śambhuḥ: Śambhu
• śambhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समनाधिकरणम् (apposition to maheśvaraḥ)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu dances to burn the three worlds, wearing a garland ‘bound of many syllables/mantras’; His body is smeared with medas, vasā, rakta—an extreme raudra iconography evoking cremation-ground transcendence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Maheśvara/Śambhu)
• Devas (lords of the gods)
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord transcends auspicious and terrifying forms alike; His fierce aspect upholds cosmic order by ending what must end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it narrates a cosmic vision within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction is stated here.