Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 137

Devanagari script

पादौ नमः शिवायेति मेढ्रे वै मन्मथाय च । कालोदरायेत्युदरं नीलकंठाय कण्ठकम्

Transliteration

pādau namaḥ śivāyeti meḍhre vai manmathāya ca | kālodarāyetyudaraṃ nīlakaṃṭhāya kaṇṭhakam

Translation

Qu’on vénère les pieds par le mantra « Namaḥ Śivāya » ; l’organe générateur par « (Hommage) à Manmatha » ; le ventre par « (Hommage) à Kālodara » ; et la gorge par « (Hommage) à Nīlakaṇṭha ».

Word by Word

• पादौ: (the) two feet
• पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (masculine, nominative/accusative dual)

• नमः: salutation, obeisance
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (indeclinable interjection of salutation)

• शिवाय: to Śiva
• शिवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, dative singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker (वाक्यचिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• मेढ्रे: on/at the genital organ
• मेढ्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेढ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• मन्मथाय: to Manmatha (Kāma)
• मन्मथाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्मथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, dative singular)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कालोदराय: to Kālodara
• कालोदराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, dative singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (karmadhāraya: 'black/dark-bellied')

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker (वाक्यचिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• उदरम्: the belly
• उदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• नीलकण्ठाय: to Nīlakaṇṭha
• नीलकण्ठाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, dative singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (karmadhāraya: 'blue-throated')

• कण्ठकम्: the throat/neck (region)
• कण्ठकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs aṅga-pūjā to Śiva: touching feet, lower body, belly, and throat while reciting epithets—Namaḥ Śivāya, Manmatha, Kālodara, Nīlakaṇṭha—before a liṅga with Narmadā water nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Namaḥ Śivāya
• Manmatha
• Kālodara
• Nīlakaṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The deity is approached as all-pervading: worship of limbs with specific names trains focused reverence and mantra-discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context relates to the Narmadā sacred geography, but this verse is primarily liturgical (aṅga-pūjā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform aṅga-pūjā of Śiva by touching/worshipping specific body parts with corresponding epithets/mantras.