Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

गते चादर्शनं देवे वासुकिप्रमुखा नृप । स्थापयित्वा तथा जग्मुर्देवदेवं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

gate cādarśanaṃ deve vāsukipramukhā nṛpa | sthāpayitvā tathā jagmurdevadevaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

Ô Roi, lorsque le Seigneur eut disparu aux regards, Vāsuki et les autres nāgas, après y avoir dûment établi la sainte présence, partirent vers Mahādeva—Dieu des dieux, Maheśvara.

Word by Word

• गते: when (he) had gone
• गते: Adhikarana (Absolute locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम्-धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (absolute locative)

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

• अदर्शनम्: disappearance
• अदर्शनम्: Karta (Co-absolute in locative construction/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘disappearance/non-visibility’

• देवे: of the god / when the god (was)
• देवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन

• वासुकि-प्रमुखाः: those headed by Vasuki
• वासुकि-प्रमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsuki (प्रातिपदिक) + pramukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘वासुकिः प्रमुखः येषाम्’—sense close to बहुव्रीहि, but used as determinative ‘headed by Vāsuki’)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• स्थापयित्वा: having established
• स्थापयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था-धातु) causative (णिच्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive) of causative ‘स्थापयति’, ‘having established/installed’

• तथा: thus/then
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम्-धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• देव-देवम्: the God of gods
• देव-देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘देवानां देवम्’)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Apposition to object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘महान् ईश्वरम्’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate continuation in next adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Nāga-pratiṣṭhā tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa/nareśvara addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After Śiva vanishes from sight, Vāsuki and Nāga chiefs perform a formal installation at the tīrtha, then depart in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsuki
• Nāgas
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when a divine vision withdraws, devotees preserve sanctity through proper स्थापना (ritual establishment) and remain oriented toward Maheśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha in Revā Khaṇḍa context, connected with nāga devotion and Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sthāpanā—duly establishing/enshrining the sacred presence (likely liṅga or tīrtha marker) before departing.