Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नमः सर्वप्रपंचस्य सृष्टिस्थित्यंतहेतवे । नम उग्राय भीमाय महादेवाय साक्षिणे

Transliteration

namaḥ sarvaprapaṃcasya sṛṣṭisthityaṃtahetave | nama ugrāya bhīmāya mahādevāya sākṣiṇe

Translation

Hommage à la cause de tout l’univers manifesté — création, maintien et dissolution. Hommage au farouche et redoutable Mahādeva, la Conscience témoin.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• सर्वप्रपञ्चस्य: of the entire universe
• सर्वप्रपञ्चस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रपञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वः प्रपञ्चः)

• सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तहेतवे: to the cause of creation, maintenance, and dissolution
• सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तहेतवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि + स्थिति + अन्त + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सृष्टेः स्थितेः अन्तस्य च हेतुः)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• उग्राय: to the fierce one
• उग्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• भीमाय: to the terrible one
• भीमाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• महादेवाय: to the great god (Mahādeva)
• महादेवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् देवः)

• साक्षिणे: to the witness
• साक्षिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

Speaker

Lakṣmaṇa (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Setu)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame listener(s) of the Skanda Purāṇa discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The liṅga is shown as the axis of the cosmos: subtle imagery of creation, preservation, dissolution circling it; Mahādeva’s fierce (ugra/bhīma) aspect is present yet grounded in the calm of witnesshood.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is both the transcendent witness and the immanent cause behind worldly processes; surrender to Him steadies one amid change.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra (Rāmeśvaram), where Mahādeva is worshipped as Rāmanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it is a doctrinal stuti suitable for contemplation and recitation.