Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

संध्यातः शङ्करस्तेन बहुकालोपवासतः । प्रादुर्भूतो महादेवः शूलं तस्य तथाछिनत्

Transliteration

saṃdhyātaḥ śaṅkarastena bahukālopavāsataḥ | prādurbhūto mahādevaḥ śūlaṃ tasya tathāchinat

Translation

ദീർഘകാല ഉപവാസവും ശങ്കരധ്യാനവും മൂലം മഹാദേവൻ പ്രത്യക്ഷനായി, ഉടൻ തന്നെ ആ ശൂലം മുറിച്ചുകളഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• संध्यातः: meditated upon/invoked
• संध्यातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (śaṅkaraḥ)

• शङ्करः: Shankara
• शङ्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• बहु: much/long
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (qualifier)

• काल: time
• काल: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद

• उपवासतः: because of long fasting
• उपवासतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; बहुकाल-उपवासतः = बहुकालस्य उपवासात् (हेतौ)

• प्रादुर्भूतः: having manifested/appeared
• प्रादुर्भूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रादुर् + भू (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mahādevaḥ)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (the great god)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; महा-देवः = महान् देवः

• शूलम्: the stake/spear
• शूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• अछिनत्: cut off
• अछिनत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally Sūta-like purāṇic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva suddenly manifests before the suffering sage and severs the stake instantly; the atmosphere shifts from agony to awe.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Mahādeva
• Upavāsa (fasting)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (upavāsa) joined with devotion and meditation can draw Śiva’s immediate compassion and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) sacred-region glorification in the Revā Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (religious fasting) and sustained meditation/remembering of Śaṅkara are implied as powerful observances.