Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पिनाकपाणिं वरदं त्रिशूलिनमुमापतिं ह्यन्धकनाशनं च । चन्द्रार्धमौलिं गजकृत्तिवाससं दृष्ट्वा पपाताग्रगतं समीक्ष्य

Transliteration

pinākapāṇiṃ varadaṃ triśūlinamumāpatiṃ hyandhakanāśanaṃ ca | candrārdhamauliṃ gajakṛttivāsasaṃ dṛṣṭvā papātāgragataṃ samīkṣya

Translation

Voyant le Seigneur, l’arc Pināka en main—dispensateur de grâces, porteur du trident, époux d’Umā, destructeur d’Andhaka—couronné du demi-lune et vêtu d’une peau d’éléphant, le regardant debout devant lui, il tomba en vénération.

Word by Word

• पिनाकपाणिम्: him whose hand holds the Pināka (bow)
• पिनाकपाणिम्: Karma (Object of seeing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pināka + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘पिनाकः पाणौ यस्य’

• वरदम्: boon-giving
• वरदम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of Śiva)

• त्रिशूलिनम्: the trident-bearer
• त्रिशूलिनम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + śūlin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘त्रिशूलं अस्ति यस्य’ (as possessive adjective-noun)

• उमापतिम्: the husband of Umā
• उमापतिम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘उमायाः पतिः’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• अन्धकनाशनम्: the destroyer of Andhaka
• अन्धकनाशनम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘अन्धकस्य नाशनः’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• चन्द्रार्धमौलिम्: he whose crest bears the half-moon
• चन्द्रार्धमौलिम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra + ardha + mauli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘चन्द्रस्य अर्धं मौलौ यस्य’

• गजकृत्तिवाससम्: wearing an elephant-hide garment
• गजकृत्तिवाससम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja + kṛtti + vāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘गजकृत्तिः वासः यस्य’ (wearing elephant-hide as garment)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया

• पपात: fell down
• पपात: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अग्रगतम्: standing in front/advanced
• अग्रगतम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agra + gata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘अग्रे गतः’ (gone in front); विशेषणम् (of the seen deity)

• समीक्ष्य: having looked closely
• समीक्ष्य: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया (after looking well)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva manifests before the ascetic: Pināka in hand, triśūla-bearing, Uma’s lord, Andhaka-slayer, half-moon on matted locks, wearing elephant hide; the devotee, overwhelmed, falls prostrate at His feet.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Andhaka
• Pināka
• Triśūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True austerity culminates in darśana, and the proper response to divine presence is surrender and reverent prostration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā setting is implied as the sacred ground where Śiva grants direct vision to the devotee.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new prescription here; it narrates the result of prior tapas—Śiva’s appearance and the devotee’s pranāma.