Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तु देवेशः शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः । उवाच मधुरां वाणीं तदा देवं पितामहम्

Transliteration

evamuktastu deveśaḥ śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ | uvāca madhurāṃ vāṇīṃ tadā devaṃ pitāmaham

Translation

Ainsi sollicité, le Seigneur des dieux, portant conque, disque et massue, adressa alors de douces paroles au divin Pitāmaha (Brahmā).

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• उक्तः: addressed/spoken to
• उक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (देवेशः)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• देवेशः: the Lord of gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशः)

• शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः: the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख + चक्र + गदा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शङ्खं चक्रं गदां च धरति)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• मधुराम्: sweet
• मधुराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाणीम्)

• वाणीम्: speech/words
• वाणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पितामहम्: the grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; देवम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण/अपपद-सम्बन्ध (appositive)

Speaker

Narrator (describing Viṣṇu speaking to Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, holding conch, discus, and mace, turns toward Brahmā and speaks with gentle authority; the scene balances majesty with sweetness.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guidance is compassionate and orderly; God’s instruction is conveyed with clarity and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it introduces the authoritative voice that frames later sacred-place teachings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative, identifying the deity and the act of instruction.