Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

प्रह्वः प्रणतभावेन स्तौमि तं नीललोहितम् । ततस्तालकसम्पातैर्गणैर्मातृगणैः सह

Transliteration

prahvaḥ praṇatabhāvena staumi taṃ nīlalohitam | tatastālakasampātairgaṇairmātṛgaṇaiḥ saha

Translation

Prosterné, dans un esprit de soumission révérencieuse, je loue ce Nīlalohita. Puis, avec les gaṇas et les cohortes des Mères (Mātṛ), survient un rassemblement tumultueux.

Word by Word

• प्रह्वः: bowed down/humble
• प्रह्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रह्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अहम् इत्यस्य)

• प्रणतभावेन: with a submissive attitude
• प्रणतभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणत + भाव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (प्रणतस्य भावः)

• स्तौमि: I praise
• स्तौमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नीललोहितम्: blue-and-red (epithet of Śiva)
• नीललोहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील + लोहित (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (नीलश्च लोहितश्च) विशेषणम् (शिवस्य)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then/from there)

• तालकसम्पातैः: with the Tālakas’ gatherings/descents
• तालकसम्पातैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तालक + सम्पात (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तालकानां सम्पाताः = groups/descents of Tālakas)

• गणैः: with groups
• गणैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• मातृगणैः: with the groups of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृगणैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + गण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मातॄणां गणाः)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (Accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (postposition)

Speaker

First-person devotee/narrated witness (unnamed in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amaraṃkaṭa (Amarkantak)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda bows deeply and sings praise to Nīlalohita; behind/around, gaṇas surge in, and the Mātṛkā hosts appear—fierce yet protective—creating a charged sacred tumult.

Characters & Entities

• Nīlalohita (Śiva)
• Gaṇas
• Mātṛgaṇa (Mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and praise are the proper approach to Śiva; devotional speech (stuti) aligns the devotee with the sacred power of the place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Amaraṃkaṭa/Narmadā sacred zone implied in Adhyāya 15, where Śiva is praised as Nīlalohita.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, stotra/stuti (praise) as a devotional act; no detailed vrata or dāna is specified.