Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

पुरा शिवः शान्ततनुश्चचार विपुलं तपः । हितार्थं सर्वलोकानामुमया सह शंकरः

Transliteration

purā śivaḥ śāntatanuścacāra vipulaṃ tapaḥ | hitārthaṃ sarvalokānāmumayā saha śaṃkaraḥ

Translation

Autrefois, Śiva au corps paisible entreprit de vastes austérités ; Śaṅkara, avec Umā, accomplit ce tapas pour le bien de tous les mondes.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Temporal adverb (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time: 'formerly')

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• शान्ततनुः: whose body is calm/peaceful
• शान्ततनुः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (शान्ता तनुः यस्य सः)

• चकार: performed; practiced
• चकार: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विपुलम्: abundant; great
• विपुलम्: Qualifier of object (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः)

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• हितार्थम्: for the sake of welfare
• हितार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (अर्थे द्वितीया); तत्पुरुष (हितस्य अर्थः)

• सर्वलोकानाम्: of all worlds/beings
• सर्वलोकानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वे लोकाः)

• उमया: with Umā
• उमया: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari marker (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहकारार्थक अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश (preposition-like indeclinable: 'with')

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; शिवस्य नाम

Speaker

Manu (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛkṣaśaila (contextual lead-in)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vatsa/disciple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, tranquil-bodied, and Umā together perform vast austerities for the benefit of all worlds—an image of the divine couple in meditative stillness amid a rugged sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śaṅkara
• Umā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine austerity is portrayed as compassionate—tapas is undertaken not for self-gain but for loka-hita (the good of all).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse provides the Shaiva backstory that will ground the Revā/Narmadā māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it highlights tapas as a sacred, world-benefiting discipline.