Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

नमः परस्मै श्रीशाय वासुदेवाय वेधसे । स्वेच्छया गुणयुक्ताय सर्गस्थित्यन्तकारिणे

Transliteration

namaḥ parasmai śrīśāya vāsudevāya vedhase | svecchayā guṇayuktāya sargasthityantakāriṇe

Translation

പരമനായ ശ്രീശന്‍, വാസുദേവന്‍, സകലവിധാതാവായ വേധസിന് നമസ്കാരം—സ്വേച്ഛയാല്‍ ഗുണങ്ങളെ ധരിച്ചു സൃഷ്ടി, സ്ഥിതി, പ്രളയം നടത്തുന്നതവന്‍.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नमस्कारार्थक-निपातः)

• parasmai: to the Supreme
• parasmai: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्; dative singular; “to the Supreme/other (highest)”

• śrīśāya: to the Lord of Śrī
• śrīśāya: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī+īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्; dative singular; “to the Lord of Śrī (Lakṣmī)”

• vāsudevāya: to Vāsudeva
• vāsudevāya: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsudeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्; dative singular

• vedhase: to the Creator/Ordainer
• vedhase: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्; dative singular (vedhase)

• svecchayā: by his own will
• svecchayā: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva+icchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; “by (his) own will”

• guṇayuktāya: to the one endowed with qualities
• guṇayuktāya: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇa+yukta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त: युक्त (क्त) from √yuj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्; dative singular; adjective to the deity

• sarga: creation
• sarga: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण (समासाङ्ग), “creation”

• sthiti: maintenance
• sthiti: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण (समासाङ्ग), “maintenance”

• anta: end
• anta: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण (समासाङ्ग), “end”

• kāriṇe: to the doer of creation, maintenance, and dissolution
• kāriṇe: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārin (प्रातिपदिक; agent-noun from √kṛ with -in)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्; dative singular; whole compound: सर्ग-स्थिति-अन्त-कारिन्

Speaker

Apsarās (celestial nymphs), collectively, praising Janārdana

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrthas (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāsudeva as cosmic Lord, surrounded by symbols of the three guṇas and the cycles of creation, preservation, dissolution; devotees offer homage on a riverbank or in a tīrtha assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Śrīśa
• Janārdana (implied)
• Guṇas (sattva-rajas-tamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme Lord governs creation, preservation, and dissolution, yet remains sovereign—acting by His own will.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Revā-khaṇḍa context tied to the sacred Revā (Narmadā) region, though no single tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a devotional stuti (praise) emphasizing theology rather than a specific rite.