Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अभीष्टदेवताश्चैव प्रणम्य गुरुसत्तमम् । नमस्कृत्य शुभान्देवान्रामादींश्च विशेषतः

Transliteration

abhīṣṭadevatāścaiva praṇamya gurusattamam | namaskṛtya śubhāndevānrāmādīṃśca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Having bowed to his chosen deities and prostrated before the best of gurus, he offered reverent salutations to the auspicious gods—especially to Rāma and the others.

Word by Word

• अभीष्टदेवताः: desired deities
• अभीष्टदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभीष्ट-देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अभीष्टस्य देवताः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having bowed’

• गुरुसत्तमम्: the best of gurus
• गुरुसत्तमम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (गुरुः सत्तमः)

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस्-कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), ‘having saluted’

• शुभान्: auspicious
• शुभान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• देवान्: gods
• देवान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• रामादीन्: Rama and others
• रामादीन्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रामः आदिः येषाम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; likely Sūta continuing the maṅgalācaraṇa-style preface)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (implied by section)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard Sūta frame; not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-devotee stands with folded hands, first bowing to a small shrine of his iṣṭa-devatā, then prostrating before a radiant guru seated on a simple āsana; behind them, auspicious deities are envisioned, with Rāma prominent.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Begin sacred narration by honoring one’s iṣṭa-devatā and the guru, establishing humility and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as an invocation within the Dharmāraṇya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma and namaskāra—devotional salutations to the guru and deities.