Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पञ्चायतनमध्ये तु तिष्ठते परमेश्वरः । शूलपाणिर्महादेवः सर्वदेवतपूजितः

Transliteration

pañcāyatanamadhye tu tiṣṭhate parameśvaraḥ | śūlapāṇirmahādevaḥ sarvadevatapūjitaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ പഞ്ചായതനത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യേ പരമേശ്വരൻ വിരാജിക്കുന്നു—ശൂലപാണിയായ മഹാദേവൻ, സർവ്വദേവതകളാൽ പൂജിതൻ।

Word by Word

• पञ्चायतनमध्ये: in the midst of the pañcāyatana
• पञ्चायतनमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चायतन (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्ये (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (मध्यम्/मध्ये इति अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चायतनस्य मध्ये)

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

• तिष्ठते: stands; remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शूलपाणिः: the one who has a trident in hand
• शूलपाणिः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (शूलः पाणौ यस्य सः)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (the great god)
• महादेवः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• सर्वदेवतपूजितः: worshipped by all deities
• सर्वदेवतपूजितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजित (पूज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (क्त); तृतीया-तत्पुरुषसमासः (सर्वाभिः देवताभिः पूजितः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūla-tīrtha (pañcāyatana precinct)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pañcāyatana temple layout: central Śiva (Śūlapāṇi) shrine with four surrounding shrines; devas shown offering garlands and lamps; the trident emblem prominent; the confluence waters nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Parameśvara
• Mahādeva
• Śūlapāṇi
• All gods (sarva-devatāḥ)
• Pañcāyatana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is present and approachable through consecrated sacred space; Śiva is affirmed as Parameśvara honored even by the devas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūla-tīrtha at Bhadrakālī-saṅgama, where Parameśvara abides amid a pañcāyatana setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly supports pañcāyatana-style shrine worship centered on Śiva (Mahādeva) at the tīrtha.