Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तु भगवान्पिङ्गलेन महात्मना । अवतारं च कृतवान् गीर्वाणानिदमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

evamuktastu bhagavānpiṅgalena mahātmanā | avatāraṃ ca kṛtavān gīrvāṇānidamabravīt

Translation

Ainsi sollicité par le magnanime Piṅgala, le Seigneur consentit à se manifester en ce lieu et adressa ces paroles aux dieux.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘एवम्’ = thus

• उक्तः: addressed; spoken to
• उक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘उक्तः’ = having been addressed/said to

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): contrast/emphasis

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘भगवान्’

• पिङ्गलेन: by Piṅgala
• पिङ्गलेन: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-कारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; agent in passive sense (कर्तृकरण)

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘पिङ्गलेन’

• अवतारम्: an incarnation; descent
• अवतारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• कृतवान्: did; performed
• कृतवान्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfective past participle used as finite/परस्मैपद-भाव), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कृतवान्’ = did/has done

• गीर्वाणान्: the gods
• गीर्वाणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘देवाः’ sense

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; pronoun used as object of speech

• अब्रवीत्: said; spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (continuing Mārkaṇḍeya’s account)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (addressed by the Lord)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deva-assembly around Īśvara as Piṅgala petitions; the Lord, serene yet radiant, agrees to manifest and addresses the gods, foreshadowing a sacred excavation near the riverine landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Piṅgala
• Bhagavān (Śiva)
• Gīrvāṇa (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a devotee’s intent is for loka-upakāra (benefit of all), the divine readily manifests and guides the community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The adhyāya frames the establishment of a Revā-region tīrtha connected with Piṅgala—commonly signposted as Piṅgaleśvara/Devakhāta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual yet; it introduces Śiva’s instruction to the devas that follows.