Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

आराध्य पशुभर्तारं मया पूर्वं महेश्वरम् । पुराणं श्रुतमेतद्धि तत्ते वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः

Transliteration

ārādhya paśubhartāraṃ mayā pūrvaṃ maheśvaram | purāṇaṃ śrutametaddhi tatte vakṣyāmyaśeṣataḥ

Translation

Après avoir jadis adoré Maheśvara, le Seigneur des créatures, j’ai véritablement entendu ce Purāṇa ; aussi te l’exposerai-je entièrement, sans rien omettre.

Word by Word

• ārādhya: having worshipped
• ārādhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-rādh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘आराध्य’ = having worshipped/propitiated

• paśu-bhartāram: lord of creatures
• paśu-bhartāram: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (paśūnām bhartā)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• pūrvam: formerly / earlier
• pūrvam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• maheśvaram: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaram: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (mahān īśvaraḥ)

• purāṇam: Purāṇa (ancient narrative)
• purāṇam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• śrutam: heard
• śrutam: Kriyā (Predicate/Verbal notion)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘heard’

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• hi: indeed / for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अवधान/हेतु-बोधक

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन

• vakṣyāmi: I will tell
• vakṣyāmi: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• aśeṣataḥ: completely / without remainder
• aśeṣataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), तसिल्-प्रत्ययार्थ (in entirety)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) – Revākhaṇḍa frame

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable narrator, having worshipped Maheśvara (Paśupati), sits to recite the Purāṇa to a king; a small Śiva-liṅga or Paśupati icon nearby, with riverine motifs hinting at Revā.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Paśupati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Śiva (Paśupati) is presented as the foundation for receiving and transmitting liberating Purāṇic wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it emphasizes the narrator’s spiritual qualification through worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (worship/propitiation) of Maheśvara is indicated as a means to gain access to sacred teaching.