Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

गालव उवाच । नमो देवादिदेवाय शंखचक्रगदाभृते । नमो नित्याय शुद्धाय सच्चिदानंदरूपिणे

Transliteration

gālava uvāca | namo devādidevāya śaṃkhacakragadābhṛte | namo nityāya śuddhāya saccidānaṃdarūpiṇe

Translation

Gālava dit : Hommage au Dieu des dieux, porteur de la conque, du disque et de la massue. Hommage à l’Éternel, au Pur, dont la nature est Sat-Cit-Ānanda : Être, Conscience et Béatitude.

Word by Word

• gālavaḥ: Gālava
• gālavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gālava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपातः (salutatory particle)

• deva-ādi-devāya: to the God who is the first of gods
• deva-ādi-devāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) ‘देवानाम् आदिः देवः’

• śaṃkha-cakra-gadā-bhṛte: to the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• śaṃkha-cakra-gadā-bhṛte: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान) (apposition to devādidevāya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha (प्रातिपदिक) + cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (कृदन्त/agent noun from √bhṛ भृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (बहुपद-उपपदसमासः) ‘शंख-चक्र-गदां बिभर्ति’

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपातः

• nityāya: to the eternal one
• nityāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• śuddhāya: to the pure one
• śuddhāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• sat-cit-ānanda-rūpiṇe: to the one whose form is existence-consciousness-bliss
• sat-cit-ānanda-rūpiṇe: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + cit (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-प्रायः) ‘सच्चिदानन्दः रूपं यस्य’

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Jagadīśvara (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gālava stands at the tīrtha with folded hands, addressing Viṣṇu bearing conch, discus, and mace; the hymn explicitly names the Lord as nitya, śuddha, saccidānanda.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā
• Sat-Cit-Ānanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship unites form and essence: the Lord is adored both as the armed protector and as pure Sat-Cit-Ānanda.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu tīrtha, where Gālava’s hymn arises in direct response to Hari’s manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stotra-pāṭha (recitation of praise) is exemplified; no additional ritual is specified.