Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स ब्रह्मा स महादेवः स देवो गरुडध्वजः । पूज्यमानः सुरैः सिद्धैस्तिष्ठते ब्रह्मवादिभिः

Transliteration

sa brahmā sa mahādevaḥ sa devo garuḍadhvajaḥ | pūjyamānaḥ suraiḥ siddhaistiṣṭhate brahmavādibhiḥ

Translation

Il est Brahmā ; il est Mahādeva ; il est aussi le Seigneur dont l’étendard porte Garuḍa. Vénéré par les dieux et les Siddhas, il demeure parmi ceux qui connaissent et proclament le Brahman.

Word by Word

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

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘महान् देवः’

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

• देवः: god
• देवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गरुडध्वजः: he whose banner is Garuḍa
• गरुडध्वजः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गरुडः ध्वजः यस्य’ इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे रूढिः (epithet)

• पूज्यमानः: being worshipped
• पूज्यमानः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्/मान-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/आत्मनेपदीय-भावे), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि विशेषण; ‘being worshipped’

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• सिद्धैः: by the Siddhas
• सिद्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तिष्ठते: stands/remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: by the expounders of Brahman
• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘ब्रह्मणः वादिनः’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Māhātmya-style narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a royal interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single radiant Supreme form subtly bearing three iconographic hints: creator’s aspect (Brahmā), ascetic-lord aspect (Mahādeva), and Garuḍa-banner aspect (Viṣṇu), surrounded by devas, siddhas, and brahmavādins offering worship.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Garuḍadhvaja (Viṣṇu)
• Suras
• Siddhas
• Brahmavādins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches the unity of the Supreme—seen as Brahmā, Śiva, and Viṣṇu—beyond sectarian division.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s lead-in to the Kāpila-tīrtha context on the Narmadā sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it is a theological praise establishing the deity’s supremacy and worship.