Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कैलासशिखरस्थं तु महादेवं सनातनम् । ब्रह्माद्याः प्रास्तुवन् देवमृग्यजुःसामभिः शिवम्

Transliteration

kailāsaśikharasthaṃ tu mahādevaṃ sanātanam | brahmādyāḥ prāstuvan devamṛgyajuḥsāmabhiḥ śivam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ കൈലാസശിഖരത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന സനാതന മഹാദേവനെ ബ്രഹ്മാദി ദേവന്മാർ ഋഗ്-യജുർ-സാമ വേദസ്തോത്രങ്ങളാൽ ശിവനായി സ്തുതിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• कैलासशिखरस्थम्: situated on the peak of Kailāsa
• कैलासशिखरस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कैलास + शिखर + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण महादेवम्; समासः—कैलासस्य शिखरे स्थितः

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महान् देवः

• सनातनम्: eternal
• सनातनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण महादेवम्

• ब्रह्माद्याः: Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मा आदिः येषां ते (Brahmā and others)

• प्रास्तुवन्: praised
• प्रास्तुवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऋक्: with Ṛg(-veda hymns)
• ऋक्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच्/ऋक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (implied in compound with -भिः)

• यजुः: with Yajus(-veda formulas)
• यजुः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (implied)

• सामभिः: with Sāma(-veda chants)
• सामभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवम् इत्यस्य विशेष्य/पर्याय

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the radiant summit of Kailāsa stands eternal Mahādeva; Brahmā and the gods gather, chanting Vedic hymns—Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma—forming a celestial chorus.

Characters & Entities

• Kailāsa
• Mahādeva
• Śiva
• Brahmā
• Ṛgveda
• Yajurveda
• Sāmaveda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest gods seek refuge in Śiva through Vedic praise—devotion and stuti are upheld as dharmic responses to cosmic crisis.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa is invoked as Śiva’s divine abode (a transmundane sacred geography rather than a local river-tīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice: stuti/recitation of Vedic hymns in praise of Śiva.