Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

सत्यं चैवाष्टमं पुष्पमेभिस्तुष्यन्ति देवताः । भक्त्या तपस्विनः पूज्या ज्ञानिनश्च नराधिप

Transliteration

satyaṃ caivāṣṭamaṃ puṣpamebhistuṣyanti devatāḥ | bhaktyā tapasvinaḥ pūjyā jñāninaśca narādhipa

Translation

La Vérité est, en effet, la huitième fleur : par elles les divinités sont comblées. Avec dévotion, il faut honorer les ascètes et les sages, ô roi.

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth (as an offering)
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• अष्टमम्: eighth
• अष्टमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• पुष्पम्: flower (offering)
• पुष्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• एभिः: by/with these
• एभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तुष्यन्ति: are pleased
• तुष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• तपस्विनः: ascetics
• तपस्विनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• पूज्याः: worthy of worship
• पूज्याः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पूज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• ज्ञानिनः: the wise/knowers
• ज्ञानिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् अधिपः)

Speaker

Unspecified teacher addressing a king (narādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-mahātmya context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens as a sage enumerates ‘flowers’ of worship; ascetics and wise men are respectfully honored, with satya symbolized as a radiant lotus above the altar of Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Devatāḥ (the gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness crowns inner worship, and devotion must express itself as reverence toward ascetics and the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa setting (Narmadā sacred geography) where Śaiva devotion is linked with ethical and social dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer the ‘flower’ of satya and practice bhakti by honouring tapasvins and jñānins.