Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

एकमूर्तिस्त्रयो देवा ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः । सत्कार्यकारणोपेताः सुसूक्ष्माः सुमहाफलाः

Transliteration

ekamūrtistrayo devā brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ | satkāryakāraṇopetāḥ susūkṣmāḥ sumahāphalāḥ

Translation

En une seule forme se tiennent les trois dieux—Brahmā, Viṣṇu et Maheśvara—pourvus de la vraie relation de cause et d’effet; d’une subtilité extrême et dispensateurs de fruits immensément grands.

Word by Word

• एकमूर्तिः: of one form
• एकमूर्तिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (एका मूर्तिः)

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः: Brahmā, Vishnu, and Maheśvara
• ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च महेश्वरश्च)

• सत्कार्यकारणोपेताः: endowed with true causes and effects
• सत्कार्यकारणोपेताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + उपेत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; उप + इ + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः (सत्कार्यकारणैः उपेताः/युक्ताः)

• सुसूक्ष्माः: very subtle
• सुसूक्ष्माः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण (अतिसूक्ष्माः)

• सुमहाफलाः: of very great fruit (highly rewarding)
• सुमहाफलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सु + महत् फलम् यस्य)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from adjoining context in Revā Khaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Asmāhaka (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single luminous form subtly containing the attributes of Brahmā (four faces/veda), Viṣṇu (śaṅkha-cakra), and Śiva (triśūla/jaṭā), radiating a fine, almost transparent ‘sūkṣma’ aura; pilgrims perceive ‘mahāphala’ through devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine is ultimately one, appearing as the Trimūrti; sincere worship touches that unity and yields great spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa’s praise of the Narmadā-region tīrthas, where such worship is said to be highly efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is named here; it supports the preceding worship context by explaining the deity’s unified nature and the resulting phala.