Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । यस्याग्रतो भवेद्ब्रह्मा विष्णुः शम्भुस्तथैव च । स्वर्गेण तस्य किं कार्यं स गतः किं करिष्यति

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | yasyāgrato bhavedbrahmā viṣṇuḥ śambhustathaiva ca | svargeṇa tasya kiṃ kāryaṃ sa gataḥ kiṃ kariṣyati

Translation

Īśvara dit : «Pour celui devant qui se tiennent Brahmā, Viṣṇu et Śambhu, quel besoin y a‑t‑il du ciel ? Même s’il y parvenait, qu’y accomplirait‑il vraiment ?»

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front (of)
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• भवेत्: would be / may be present
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• स्वर्गेण: with/through heaven; by heaven (i.e., heaven as a means)
• स्वर्गेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• तस्य: for him / of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कार्यम्: need, purpose, task
• कार्यम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्तृ/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• गतः: gone, having gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Citrasena (king) and/or the immediate audience in the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara speaks a contemplative teaching: before the devotee stand Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śambhu; the king/listener is shown humbled, with svarga depicted as pale and distant compared to the radiant triad.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Citrasena
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Direct divine presence (darśana) is superior to heavenly reward; svarga is not the highest aim when God is attained.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa setting is honored indirectly as the place enabling such darśana; no separate tīrtha name is stated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological valuation of darśana over svarga.