Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अस्मिंस्तु पर्वते तात रुद्राणां कोटयः स्थिताः । स्नानैस्तुष्टिर्भवेत्तेषां गन्धमाल्यानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

asmiṃstu parvate tāta rudrāṇāṃ koṭayaḥ sthitāḥ | snānaistuṣṭirbhavetteṣāṃ gandhamālyānulepanaiḥ

Translation

On this mountain, dear one, crores of Rudras abide. They are pleased by bathing here, and by offerings of fragrance, garlands, and unguents.

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण—‘in this’

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• पर्वते: on the mountain
• पर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण—‘on/in the mountain’

• तात: O dear one
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन—‘O dear/son’

• रुद्राणाम्: of the Rudras
• रुद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध—‘of the Rudras’

• कोटयः: crores (tens of millions)
• कोटयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्ता—‘crores’

• स्थिताः: are situated
• स्थिताः: Karta (Predicative/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘स्थित’ = ‘having remained/being situated’

• स्नानैः: by bathing
• स्नानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण—‘by baths’

• तुष्टिः: satisfaction
• तुष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता—‘satisfaction’

• भवेत्: would arise/becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध—‘of them’ (i.e., of the Rudras)

• गन्धमाल्यानुलेपनैः: with perfumes, garlands, and anointments
• गन्धमाल्यानुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + माल्य + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण—द्वन्द्वसमासः (समाहार-द्वन्द्वः): ‘with perfumes, garlands, and unguents’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṅkāra mountain/kṣetra (contextual mountain of the Revā region)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred hill crowded with subtle, semi-visible Rudra forms (blue/ash-smeared ascetics, tridents) surrounding a central liṅga; pilgrims bathe at the river below and ascend with garlands and sandal paste; the air is fragrant.

Characters & Entities

• Rudras
• the mountain (parvata) near the Revā tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is enacted through embodied rites: bathing and simple offerings please the Rudras and align the pilgrim with Śaiva dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred mountain in the Revā region described as the abode of countless Rudras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) and worship through fragrances, garlands, and anointing (gandha-mālya-anulepana).