Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यत्र सिद्धं महारक्ष आराध्य तु महेश्वरम् । शङ्करं जगतः प्राणं स्मृतिमात्रावहारिणम्

Transliteration

yatra siddhaṃ mahārakṣa ārādhya tu maheśvaram | śaṅkaraṃ jagataḥ prāṇaṃ smṛtimātrāvahāriṇam

Translation

അവിടെ ഒരു മഹാബല രാക്ഷസൻ മഹേശ്വരനെ ആരാധിച്ച് സിദ്ധി പ്രാപിച്ചു—അവൻ ശങ്കരൻ, ലോകത്തിന്റെ പ്രാണൻ, സ്മരണ മാത്രത്താൽ പ്രസാദം നൽകുന്നവൻ.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: “where”)

• सिद्धम्: accomplished; perfected
• सिद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √सिध् (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate/qualifier)

• महारक्ष: O great Rakṣa (demon)
• महारक्ष: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महान् + रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; सम्बोधन-पद

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √राध् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त (absolutive/gerund); “having worshipped/propitiated”

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

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• शङ्करम्: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; महेश्वरस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (possessive)

• प्राणम्: life-breath; vital force
• प्राणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; महेश्वरस्य विशेषण

• स्मृतिमात्रावहारिणम्: who removes (sins) by mere remembrance
• स्मृतिमात्रावहारिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृति + मात्रा + अवहारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषण—“स्मृतिमात्रेण अवहरति इति”

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka (frame, implied) / Yudhiṣṭhira (immediate)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the banks of Revā, a formidable rākṣasa stands in humble devotion before a radiant Śiva-liṅga; Śaṅkara is envisioned as the life-breath of the cosmos, blessing through mere remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa
• Maheśvara
• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s grace is accessible even to the fallen; sincere worship and remembrance can transform and grant siddhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Aṅkūreśvara Tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa (introduced in the prior verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (devotional worship/propitiation) of Maheśvara; emphasis also on smṛti (remembrance).