Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

प्रह्वः प्रणतभावेन स्तौमि तं नीललोहितम् । ततस्तालकसम्पातैर्गणैर्मातृगणैः सह

Transliteration

prahvaḥ praṇatabhāvena staumi taṃ nīlalohitam | tatastālakasampātairgaṇairmātṛgaṇaiḥ saha

Translation

ഞാൻ പ്രണതനായി വിനയഭാവത്തോടെ ആ നീലലോഹിതനെ (ശിവനെ) സ്തുതിക്കുന്നു. തുടർന്ന് ഗണങ്ങളും മാതൃഗണങ്ങളും ചേർന്ന് മഹാകലഹം ഉയരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• प्रह्वः: bowed down/humble
• प्रह्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रह्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अहम् इत्यस्य)

• प्रणतभावेन: with a submissive attitude
• प्रणतभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणत + भाव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (प्रणतस्य भावः)

• स्तौमि: I praise
• स्तौमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नीललोहितम्: blue-and-red (epithet of Śiva)
• नीललोहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील + लोहित (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (नीलश्च लोहितश्च) विशेषणम् (शिवस्य)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then/from there)

• तालकसम्पातैः: with the Tālakas’ gatherings/descents
• तालकसम्पातैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तालक + सम्पात (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तालकानां सम्पाताः = groups/descents of Tālakas)

• गणैः: with groups
• गणैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• मातृगणैः: with the groups of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृगणैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + गण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मातॄणां गणाः)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (Accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (postposition)

Speaker

First-person devotee/narrated witness (unnamed in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amaraṃkaṭa (Amarkantak)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda bows deeply and sings praise to Nīlalohita; behind/around, gaṇas surge in, and the Mātṛkā hosts appear—fierce yet protective—creating a charged sacred tumult.

Characters & Entities

• Nīlalohita (Śiva)
• Gaṇas
• Mātṛgaṇa (Mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and praise are the proper approach to Śiva; devotional speech (stuti) aligns the devotee with the sacred power of the place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Amaraṃkaṭa/Narmadā sacred zone implied in Adhyāya 15, where Śiva is praised as Nīlalohita.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, stotra/stuti (praise) as a devotional act; no detailed vrata or dāna is specified.