Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । शृणुष्वैकमना भूत्वा यथा गङ्गावतारिता । देवैः सर्वैर्महाभागा सर्वलोकहिताय वै

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | śṛṇuṣvaikamanā bhūtvā yathā gaṅgāvatāritā | devaiḥ sarvairmahābhāgā sarvalokahitāya vai

Translation

Īśvara dit : «Écoute, l’esprit unifié, comment Gaṅgā fut amenée ici-bas, elle la très fortunée, descendue par tous les dieux pour le bien de tous les mondes».

Word by Word

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

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

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• एकमनाः: single-minded
• एकमनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकं मनः यस्य)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• यथा: as, how
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक (as/how)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवतारिता: was brought down
• अवतारिता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘अवतारिता’ = ‘brought down’

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying देवैः)

• महाभागा: most fortunate, illustrious (she)
• महाभागा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् भागः यस्याः)

• सर्वलोकहिताय: for the welfare of all worlds
• सर्वलोकहिताय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वलोकस्य हितम्)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/उपपद (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (as tīrtha-rājñī)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king/royal listener (nareśvara/mahīpati addressed in adjacent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara begins the sacred narration, instructing the listener to be single-minded, then announces the story of Gaṅgā’s descent accomplished by the gods for the good of all worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Śiva
• Gaṅgā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine acts like Gaṅgā’s descent are framed as universal compassion—sacred rivers exist for the purification and welfare of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is a prelude to Devāśilā/Puṇyā within the Revā Khaṇḍa, contextualized through Gaṅgā’s descent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mental discipline is implied: attentive listening (śravaṇa) with one-pointed mind is presented as the proper way to receive tīrtha-māhātmya.