Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 196

Devanagari script

ओंनमो भगवते महापुरुषाय महानुभावाय विभूतिपतये सकलसात्वतपरिवृढनिकरकरकमलोत्पलकुड्मलोपलालितचरणारविंदयुगल परमपरमेष्ठिन्नमस्ते

Transliteration

oṃnamo bhagavate mahāpuruṣāya mahānubhāvāya vibhūtipataye sakalasātvataparivṛḍhanikarakarakamalotpalakuḍmalopalālitacaraṇāraviṃdayugala paramaparameṣṭhinnamaste

Translation

ॐ नमो भगवते—महापुरुष, महानुभाव, समस्त विभूतियों के स्वामी! जिनके युगल चरणारविन्दों की उपासना श्रेष्ठ भक्त-समूह के कर-कमलरूपी कुमुद-कली करते हैं; हे परम-परमेष्ठिन्, आपको नमस्कार है।

Word by Word

• oṃ: Om
• oṃ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: oṃ (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: प्रणवः, अव्ययम् (sacred syllable, indeclinable)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात/अव्ययम्; नमः-शब्दः (indeclinable salutation particle)

• bhagavate: to the Lord
• bhagavate: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (singular)

• mahāpuruṣāya: to the Great Person
• mahāpuruṣāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (उपसर्ग/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् चासौ पुरुषः)

• mahānubhāvāya: to the one of great majesty
• mahānubhāvāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + anubhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महान् अनुभावः यस्य)

• vibhūtipataye: to the Lord of powers
• vibhūtipataye: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhūti (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विभूतेः पतिः)

• sakala-sātvataparivṛḍha-nikara-kara-kamala-utpala-kuḍmala-upalālita-caraṇa-aravinda-yugala: (to Him) whose lotus-feet pair is caressed by the bud-like lotus-hands of the multitude of all eminent Sātvatas
• sakala-sātvataparivṛḍha-nikara-kara-kamala-utpala-kuḍmala-upalālita-caraṇa-aravinda-yugala: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक) + sātvataparivṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक; सत्त्वत-परिवृढ) + nikara (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक) + kamala (प्रातिपदिक) + utpala (प्रातिपदिक) + kuḍmala (प्रातिपदिक) + upalālita (उपलालित; कृदन्त, √लल्/लल्-धातु, क्त) + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + aravinda (प्रातिपदिक) + yugala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः (समस्तविशेषणसमूहः) — ‘सकलसात्वतपरिवृढनिकर’ (सकलानां सत्त्वतानां परिवृढानां निकरः) ‘करकमलोत्पलकुड्मल’ (करः=हस्तः, कमल-उत्पल-कुड्मल-रूपः) ‘उपलालित’ (क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः, ‘लालित/स्पृष्ट’), ‘चरणारविंदयुगल’ (चरणौ एव अरविन्दौ, युगलम्)

• parama-paramameṣṭhin: O supreme Parameṣṭhin
• parama-paramameṣṭhin: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + parameṣṭhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमः चासौ परमेष्ठी)

• namas: salutation
• namas: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात/अव्ययम्; नमस् (salutation particle)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (to you/your) — नमस्ते इत्यत्र चतुर्थी-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) or a devotee-voice within the narrative (deduced from hymn-style passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee (or a celestial assembly) offers salutations to the Supreme Lord; the Lord’s twin lotus-feet are foregrounded, gently touched by lotus-bud hands of exalted devotees; a radiant aura suggests vibhūti (divine powers).

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān
• Mahāpuruṣa
• Vibhūtipati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is approached through reverent mantra-salutation and loving contemplation of His lotus-feet.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is directly praised; the verse is a universal mantra-like eulogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-style namaskāra (oṃ namo…) and pāda-sevā in devotion (mental worship of the Lord’s feet).