Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । अथाहमुच्चरन्वेदानशेषैर्वदनैः शिवम् । अस्तौषं भक्तिसंपूर्णं कृत्वा मानसमर्चनम्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | athāhamuccaranvedānaśeṣairvadanaiḥ śivam | astauṣaṃ bhaktisaṃpūrṇaṃ kṛtvā mānasamarcanam

Translation

Brahmā dit : Alors, récitant les Veda de toutes mes bouches, je louai Śiva, comblé de bhakti, après avoir accompli l’adoration dans le sanctuaire du mental.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nom., Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, Active, 3rd person, Singular

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/आरम्भ) — Indeclinable, connective

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 1st person pronoun, Nom., Singular

• उच्चरन्: uttering, reciting
• उच्चरन्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+चर् (धातु) → उच्चरन्त् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Present participle, Masculine, Nom., Singular

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अशेषैः: with all (without remainder)
• अशेषैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वदनैः: with (my) mouths/faces
• वदनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अस्तौषम्: I praised
• अस्तौषम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अद्यतनभूत/आोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — Aorist, Active, 1st person, Singular

• भक्तिसंपूर्णम्: filled with devotion
• भक्तिसंपूर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भक्त्या संपूर्णम्/भक्तिसंपूर्णम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Tatpuruṣa; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (पूर्वकाल) — Gerund: “having done/made”

• मानसम्: mental
• मानसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्चनम्: worship
• अर्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic interlocutor(s) in the Aruṇācalamāhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, serene and humbled, recites the Vedas with multiple mouths while performing mental worship—eyes half-closed, hands in añjali—before Śiva’s presence at Aruṇācala.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śiva
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True praise of Śiva unites scriptural recitation (Veda) with inner devotion (mānasa-arcana).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Aruṇācalamāhātmya, framing Arunachala (Tiruvaṇṇāmalai) as the sacred locus of Śiva’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mental worship (mānasa-arcana) and Vedic recitation as modes of stuti; no external rite is specified here.