Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तत्रैव सर्वे गच्छामो यत्र देवो महेश्वरः । स गतिश्चैव सर्वेषां विद्यतेऽन्यो न कश्चन

Transliteration

tatraiva sarve gacchāmo yatra devo maheśvaraḥ | sa gatiścaiva sarveṣāṃ vidyate'nyo na kaścana

Translation

«Allons tous là où demeure le Seigneur Maheśvara. Il est l’unique refuge et l’ultime voie de tous ; en dehors de Lui, nul autre destin n’existe.»

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• सर्वे: all (of us/they)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• गच्छामः: we go
• गच्छामः: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (the great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् ईश्वरः)

• सः: he; that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गतिः: refuge; course; goal
• गतिः: Karta (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• विद्यते: exists; is found
• विद्यते: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject complement/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• कश्चन: anyone; someone (at all)
• कश्चन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; चन-प्रत्ययान्त (indefinite pronoun)

Speaker

Brahmā (addressing the assembly of Devas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maheśvara-kṣetra (unnamed in verse)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas collectively resolve to journey to Maheśvara; the composition shows a unified procession moving toward a luminous Śiva-linga/Śiva presence in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva alone is proclaimed as the ultimate refuge and final goal; all paths culminate in Him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region is the setting, pointing to the place where Maheśvara is specially present.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes pilgrimage-like going to the Lord’s abode and taking Him as sole refuge.