Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

योजयेच्छूलिनं भक्त्या द्वात्रिंशद्बहुरूपिणम् । देहपाते शिवं गच्छेदिति मे निश्चयो नृप

Transliteration

yojayecchūlinaṃ bhaktyā dvātriṃśadbahurūpiṇam | dehapāte śivaṃ gacchediti me niścayo nṛpa

Translation

ഭക്തിയോടെ മുപ്പത്തിരണ്ട് രൂപങ്ങളായി പ്രത്യക്ഷനായ ത്രിശൂലധാരി ശൂലിനനോട് യോഗം/ധ്യാനം ചേർക്കണം. ദേഹപാതത്തിൽ അവൻ ശിവനെ പ്രാപിക്കും—ഹേ നൃപ, ഇതാണ് എന്റെ ദൃഢനിശ്ചയം.

Word by Word

• योजयेत्: should unite/engage (in)
• योजयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense in usage = "should join/appoint/meditate upon"

• शूलिनम्: the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; epithet of Śiva

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

• द्वात्रिंशत्: thirty-two
• द्वात्रिंशत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वात्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-शब्दः; here in compound with बहुरूपिणम् = "thirty-two"

• बहुरूपिणम्: many-formed
• बहुरूपिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + रूपिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्; here as tatpurusha (बहूनि रूपाणि यस्य) = "many-formed"

• देहपाते: at death (body’s fall)
• देहपाते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहपात (प्रातिपदिक; देह + पात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; "at the fall of the body"

• शिवम्: Śiva / auspicious state
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गच्छेत्: would go/attain
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय (quotative)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; enclitic = "my"

• निश्चयः: conviction/certainty
• निश्चयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piṇḍikā (Revā-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in meditation on the riverbank, visualizing Śiva as Śūlin with radiant aura; subtle depiction of thirty-two emanative forms surrounding the central Śiva, like a mandala.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Chūlin)
• Thirty-two forms (dvātriṃśad-bahurūpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti-centered alignment with Śiva is taught as the direct cause of Śiva-gati (attaining Śiva) after death.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the same Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha context; the site’s power is linked to Śiva-upāsanā performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional upāsanā/meditation on the Trident-bearing Śiva, specifically contemplated as ‘many-formed’ (including thirty-two forms).