Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

शूलस्थः स तु धर्मात्मा कालेन महता तदा । ध्यायन्देवं त्रिलोकेशं शङ्करं तमुमापतिम्

Transliteration

śūlasthaḥ sa tu dharmātmā kālena mahatā tadā | dhyāyandevaṃ trilokeśaṃ śaṅkaraṃ tamumāpatim

Translation

Fixé à la pointe du trident, cet être à l’âme droite demeura ainsi très longtemps, méditant le Seigneur des trois mondes — Śaṅkara, l’époux d’Umā.

Word by Word

• शूलस्थः: standing/placed on the stake
• शूलस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūla + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—शूले स्थितः (located on the stake)

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

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक अव्यय (but/indeed)

• धर्मात्मा: the righteous-souled one
• धर्मात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—धर्मः आत्मा यस्य (one whose nature is righteous)

• कालेन: with/by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• महता: great/long
• महता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (kālena इत्यस्य)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालबोधक अव्यय (at that time)

• ध्यायन्: meditating
• ध्यायन्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ध्यायन्’ = ध्यानं कुर्वन्

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• त्रिलोकेशम्: lord of the three worlds
• त्रिलोकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + loka + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—त्रयाणां लोकानाम् ईशः (lord of the three worlds)

• शङ्करम्: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तम्: that (one)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (umāpatim इत्यस्य)

• उमापतिम्: the lord of Umā
• उमापतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—उमायाः पतिः (husband of Umā)

Speaker

Narrator (contextually: Śrī Markaṇḍeya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: O King (implicit address continues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic is fixed on the trident’s tip, yet his posture is composed; eyes half-closed, mind turned to Śaṅkara with Umā; a subtle vision of Śiva-Parvatī may appear above or within a luminous aura.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Umā
• Trilokeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady dhyāna on Śiva, sustained over time, is presented as a supreme form of tapas rooted in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography), emphasizing the Revā-region’s ascetic sanctity rather than naming a single tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed here; the focus is inner worship—meditative contemplation (dhyāna) of Śaṅkara.