Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

त्वदाधारा हि देवेश सर्वे लोका व्यवस्थिताः । त्वं श्रेष्ठः सर्वसत्त्वानां त्वं कर्ता धरणीधरः

Transliteration

tvadādhārā hi deveśa sarve lokā vyavasthitāḥ | tvaṃ śreṣṭhaḥ sarvasattvānāṃ tvaṃ kartā dharaṇīdharaḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദേവേശാ! സർവ്വ ലോകങ്ങളും നിങ്ങളുടെ അധാരത്തിൽ തന്നെയാണ് നിലകൊള്ളുന്നത്. നിങ്ങൾ സർവ്വ സത്ത്വങ്ങളിലെയും ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ; നിങ്ങൾ കർത്താവും ധരണീധരനും—ഭൂമിയെ ധരിക്കുന്നവനും ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• त्वत्: on you / from you (as support)
• त्वत्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• आधाराः: supported / resting (upon)
• आधाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• देवेश: O Lord of the gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• लोकाः: worlds
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• व्यवस्थिताः: are established
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कृदन्तः—क्त (past participle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्रेष्ठः: the best
• श्रेष्ठः: Pradhana (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वसत्त्वानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वसत्त्वानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सत्त्व), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां सत्त्वानाम्)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कर्ता: creator/doer
• कर्ता: Pradhana (Predicate nominative/प्रथमान्त-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तृच् (कृदन्त; कर्तृवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तृच् (agent noun)

• धरणीधरः: supporter of the earth
• धरणीधरः: Pradhana (Predicate nominative/प्रथमान्त-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (धृ-धातु, अच्/णिनि-प्रत्ययार्थ; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धरणीं धरति)

Speaker

A devotee/praiser in the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative (speaker not explicitly named in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The hymn’s idea is visualized as the deity reclining serenely while the earth and worlds appear supported within/under His presence; symbolic earth held steady, suggesting ‘dharaṇīdhara’.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa
• Lokāḥ
• Dharaṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing God as the support of all existence cultivates humility, trust, and steadfast devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-khaṇḍa setting frames the hymn within the sacred Narmadā-region tīrthas, though no single site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it is a contemplative praise of divine sustenance.