Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

शिवं भज शिवं ध्याय शिवं स्तुहि शिवं यज । शिवं नम वराक त्वं ज्ञानं मोक्षं यदीच्छसि

Transliteration

śivaṃ bhaja śivaṃ dhyāya śivaṃ stuhi śivaṃ yaja | śivaṃ nama varāka tvaṃ jñānaṃ mokṣaṃ yadīcchasi

Translation

ശിവനെ ഭജിക്ക, ശിവനെ ധ്യാനിക്ക, ശിവനെ സ്തുതിക്ക, ശിവനോടു യജ്ഞം അർപ്പിക്ക; ഹേ ദീനനേ, ശിവനോട് നമസ്കരിക്ക—ജ്ഞാനവും മോക്ഷവും ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ।

Word by Word

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; देवतावाचक

• भज: worship/serve
• भज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ध्याय: meditate on
• ध्याय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्तुहि: praise
• स्तुहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यज: sacrifice to/worship
• यज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नम: bow to
• नम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• वराक: O wretch/poor fellow
• वराक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Condition (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional conjunction: 'if')

• इच्छसि: you desire
• इच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductively: Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa (Śiva-upāsanā focus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ‘varāka’ (helpless seeker) performs successive acts—singing, meditating, praising, offering, and bowing—before a serene Śiva-liṅga on the Revā riverbank; a subtle radiance signifies dawning jñāna and the path to mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge and liberation are attained through comprehensive devotion—worship, meditation, praise, and surrender—to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa setting implies Śiva-worship in the sacred Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhajana (worship), dhyāna (meditation), stuti (hymn), yajña/arcana (offering), and namaskāra (prostration) to Śiva.