Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

षण्मुखेन पुरा तात सर्वपातकनाशनम् । आराध्य परया भक्त्या सिद्धिः प्राप्ता नराधिप

Transliteration

ṣaṇmukhena purā tāta sarvapātakanāśanam | ārādhya parayā bhaktyā siddhiḥ prāptā narādhipa

Translation

Autrefois, cher enfant, en adorant Ṣaṇmukha avec une dévotion suprême—lui qui anéantit tous les péchés—on obtint la siddhi, ô roi.

Word by Word

• षण्मुखेन: by Ṣaṇmukha (the six-faced one)
• षण्मुखेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly; in ancient times
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• तात: O dear one; O son
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: the destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पातक + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• परया: supreme; intense
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of 'भक्त्या'

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सिद्धिः: success; attainment
• सिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्ता: was obtained
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'सिद्धिः' इत्यस्य विधेय (predicate)

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

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context: Purāṇic narrator addressing a king/prince)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara tīrtha (Ṣaṇmukha-ārādhana-prasiddha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee (or archetypal sādhaka) worships Ṣaṇmukha with intense devotion at a riverbank shrine; Skanda’s six faces glow; offerings of flowers, lamps, and incense; the king listens as Mārkaṇḍeya narrates the ancient attainment of siddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda/Kumāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme devotion to Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha) is portrayed as a direct means to destroy sin and attain spiritual success.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets the devotional premise; the specific tīrtha is elaborated in the surrounding Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes ārādhana (devotional worship) of Ṣaṇmukha with parā-bhakti (highest devotion).