Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आराधयन्तः परमं भवानीपतिमव्यम् । द्वादशाब्दानि राजेन्द्र ततस्तुष्टो महेश्वरः

Transliteration

ārādhayantaḥ paramaṃ bhavānīpatimavyam | dvādaśābdāni rājendra tatastuṣṭo maheśvaraḥ

Translation

L’ayant adoré comme le Suprême—le Seigneur de Bhavānī, l’Impérissable—durant douze années, ô le meilleur des rois, alors Maheśvara fut satisfait.

Word by Word

• ārādhayantaḥ: worshipping, propitiating
• ārādhayantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-rādh (धातु) → ārādhayant (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (Present active participle), पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदी; क्रिया-विशेषणरूपेण

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• bhavānī-patim: the lord (husband) of Bhavānī
• bhavānī-patim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavānī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• avyam: imperishable
• avyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (अव्यय/अविनाशी इत्यर्थे)

• dvādaśa-abdāni: twelve years
• dvādaśa-abdāni: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्याशब्द) + abda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; कालपरिमाणम्

• rājendra: O king of kings
• rājendra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषप्रायः (राज्ञामिन्द्रः); पुल्लिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Hetu/Anantara-kāla (हेतु/अनन्तरकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अव्यय-प्रयोगः (ततः = तस्मात्/अनन्तरम्)

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣ (धातु) → tuṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• maheśvaraḥ: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāsava-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra / Mahārāja (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Vasus perform austere worship for twelve years before the imperishable Śiva, Bhavānī’s Lord; the atmosphere is ascetic yet luminous, anticipating Śiva’s pleasure.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Maheśvara)
• Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• Vasus

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady long-term worship and austerity culminate in Śiva’s direct grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā-region tīrtha where the Vasus performed twelve years of Śiva-ārādhana, leading to the fame of Vāsava-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A sustained twelve-year devotional observance (ārādhana/tapas) directed to Śiva.