Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तं देवमीशानमजं वरेण्यं दृष्ट्वा जगत्संहरणं महेशम् । सा कालरात्रिः सह मातृभिश्च गणाश्च सर्वे शिवमर्चयन्ति

Transliteration

taṃ devamīśānamajaṃ vareṇyaṃ dṛṣṭvā jagatsaṃharaṇaṃ maheśam | sā kālarātriḥ saha mātṛbhiśca gaṇāśca sarve śivamarcayanti

Translation

ആ ദേവനായ ഈശാനൻ—അജൻ, വരേണ്യൻ, ജഗത്‌സംഹാരകനായ മഹേശൻ—എന്നു ദർശിച്ച്, കാലരാത്രി മാതൃഗണങ്ങളോടുകൂടെ എല്ലാ ഗണങ്ങളും ഭക്തിയോടെ ശിവനെ ആരാധിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-शब्दः (pronoun)

• devam: the god
• devam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• īśānam: the Lord (Īśāna)
• īśānam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेष्य-समनाधिकरणम् (apposition to devam)

• ajam: unborn
• ajam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying the deity)

• vareṇyam: most worthy of choice/veneration
• vareṇyam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vareṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having seen)

• jagat-saṃharaṇam: the destruction of the world
• jagat-saṃharaṇam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः संहरणम् = destruction of the world)

• maheśam: Mahēśa (Great Lord)
• maheśam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समनाधिकरणम् (apposition to devam)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-शब्दः

• kālarātriḥ: Kālarātri
• kālarātriḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālarātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य रात्रिः)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सहार्थक-उपपद (with)

• mātṛbhiḥ: with the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātṛbhiḥ: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सह-योगे (instrumental of accompaniment)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• gaṇāḥ: the attendants/hosts
• gaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying gaṇāḥ)

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• arcayanti: worship
• arcayanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-maṇḍala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: Śiva as Īśāna/Maheśa, serene yet world-dissolving, receives worship from Kālarātrī, the Mātṛkās, and swarming gaṇas in a dark, pralaya-tinged atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Maheśa/Īśāna)
• Kālarātri
• Mātṛs
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic powers and fierce divinities revere Śiva; true authority is grounded in devotion to the Supreme Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it emphasizes Śiva’s supremacy within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) is mentioned generally, without detailing a specific rite.