Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 111

Devanagari script

हाहाकारपराणां तु ऋषीणां रक्षणाय च । स्वयं मूर्तिर्महेशानुमावृषभसंयुतः

Transliteration

hāhākāraparāṇāṃ tu ṛṣīṇāṃ rakṣaṇāya ca | svayaṃ mūrtirmaheśānumāvṛṣabhasaṃyutaḥ

Translation

To protect the sages who were crying out in distress, Maheśa Himself manifested in person—accompanied by Umā and mounted upon the bull (Nandin).

Word by Word

• हाहाकार-पराणाम्: of those intent on lamentation
• हाहाकार-पराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाहाकार (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (हाहाकारः एव परः/हाहाकारे परः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ऋषीणाम्: of the sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• रक्षणाय: for protection
• रक्षणाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Dative, Singular; purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-emphasis (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मनः बोधक (reflexive adverb)

• मूर्तिः: the embodied form
• मूर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• महेश-अनुमा-वृषभ-संयुतः: joined with Maheśa, Anumā, and the bull
• महेश-अनुमा-वृषभ-संयुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier of मूर्तिः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुमा (प्रातिपदिक) + वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम् + युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (महेश+अनुमा+वृषभ) + 'संयुत' (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled ṛṣis (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakāṇṭaka (Uma-Maheśvara protective epiphany locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest sages cry out as flames or danger encroach; Uma-Maheśvara appears bodily, Śiva mounted on Nandin, granting abhaya and restoring calm to the hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Nandin (Vṛṣabha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is threatened, Śiva’s grace becomes immediate protection for sincere sages and devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Amarakaṇṭaka, praised in the Revā Khaṇḍa as a supreme Śaiva sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights divine intervention and protection.