Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्रोवाच राक्षसो वाक्यं देवदेवं महेश्वरम् । वरदं सोऽग्रतो दृष्ट्वा प्रणम्य च पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

provāca rākṣaso vākyaṃ devadevaṃ maheśvaram | varadaṃ so'grato dṛṣṭvā praṇamya ca punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

Alors le Rākṣasa adressa la parole à Maheśvara, le Dieu des dieux. Voyant devant lui le dispensateur des grâces, il se prosterna maintes fois et parla.

Word by Word

• प्रोवाच: said; spoke forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राक्षसः: the rākṣasa
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: a statement; words
• वाक्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• देवदेवम्: the God of gods
• देवदेवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः)

• महेश्वरम्: the Great Lord (Maheśvara)
• महेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (महान् ईश्वरः)

• वरदम्: boon-giving
• वरदम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर-द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुष (वरं ददाति इति)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front; before
• अग्रतः: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पुनःपुनः: again and again
• पुनःपुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः-पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-अव्यय (iterative adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (describing Aṅkūra speaking to Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The rākṣasa stands before Maheśvara, hands folded, bowing repeatedly; Śiva’s presence is frontal, luminous, and calm, emphasizing ‘varada’ aspect.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Deva-deva
• Aṅkūra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True approach to the divine begins with humility—praṇāma and reverent speech before requesting any boon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Revā/Narmadā sacred region, as the setting for Śiva’s darśana and boon.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Repeated praṇāma (obeisance) is depicted as devotional conduct; no formal rite is detailed.