Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शांताय धर्मनिधये क्षेत्रज्ञायामृतात्मने । शिष्ययोगप्रतिष्ठाय नमो जीवैकहेतवे । घोराय मायाविधये सहस्रशिरसे नमः

Transliteration

śāṃtāya dharmanidhaye kṣetrajñāyāmṛtātmane | śiṣyayogapratiṣṭhāya namo jīvaikahetave | ghorāya māyāvidhaye sahasraśirase namaḥ

Translation

Salutations to the Peaceful One, the treasure-house of dharma; to the Knower of the field (Kṣetrajña), whose Self is deathless; to Him who establishes the disciple in yoga. Salutations to the single primal cause of all living beings; salutations to the awe-inspiring Lord who wields māyā, the Thousand-headed One.

Word by Word

• śāṃtāya: to the peaceful one
• śāṃtāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (प्रातिपदिक; √śam शम् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to the addressed deity)

• dharma-nidhaye: to the treasure of dharma
• dharma-nidhaye: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य निधिः)

• kṣetra-jñāya: to the knower of the field
• kṣetra-jñāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक; √jñā ज्ञा (धातु) क्त/ण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षेत्रं जानाति इति)

• amṛta-ātmane: to the immortal-souled one
• amṛta-ātmane: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (अमृतः आत्मा)

• śiṣya-yoga-pratiṣṭhāya: to the foundation of the disciple’s yoga
• śiṣya-yoga-pratiṣṭhāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + pratiṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (शिष्यस्य योगः; तस्य प्रतिष्ठा/आधारः)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Prayojana (salutation formula)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• jīva-eka-hetave: to the sole cause of beings
• jīva-eka-hetave: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (जीवानाम् एकः हेतुः)

• ghorāya: to the terrible/awe-inspiring one
• ghorāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• māyā-vidhaye: to the ordainer/controller of māyā
• māyā-vidhaye: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मायायाः विधिः/नियन्ता)

• sahasra-śirase: to the thousand-headed one
• sahasra-śirase: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (सहस्रं शिरो यस्य सः)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Prayojana (salutation formula)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa stuti context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene, luminous Lord as inner witness seated in meditation, behind him a faint Viśvarūpa with thousand heads; a guru placing hand on a disciple’s head, establishing yoga; māyā shown as a translucent veil over the cosmos.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrajña
• Māyā
• Sahasraśiras
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is both immanent (knower within beings) and transcendent (cosmic form), guiding seekers into yoga and dharma while remaining the ultimate cause of life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the implied sacred theater for this teaching, highlighting the city’s association with dharma and liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on yoga-pratiṣṭhā—being established in disciplined spiritual practice.