Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 138

Devanagari script

शिरः सर्वात्मने पूज्य उमां पश्चात्प्रपूजयेत् । क्षामोदरायैह्युदरं सुकण्ठायै च कण्ठकम्

Transliteration

śiraḥ sarvātmane pūjya umāṃ paścātprapūjayet | kṣāmodarāyaihyudaraṃ sukaṇṭhāyai ca kaṇṭhakam

Translation

‘സർവാത്മനെ നമഃ’ എന്നു ശിരസ്സിനെ പൂജിച്ച ശേഷം, വിധിപൂർവം ഉമാദേവിയെ പൂജിക്കണം—അവളുടെ ഉദരത്തെ ‘ക്ഷാമോദരായൈ നമഃ’ എന്നും കണ്ഠത്തെ ‘സുകണ്ഠായൈ നമഃ’ എന്നും।

Word by Word

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• सर्वात्मने: to Sarvātmā (the all-souled one)
• सर्वात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, dative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (one whose self is all / the all-self)

• पूज्य: worthy of worship
• पूज्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + य (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्/ण्यत्-भावः); विशेषण (worthy of worship)

• उमाम्: Umā
• उमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (adverb of sequence)

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should worship)

• क्षामोदरायै: to Kṣāmodarā
• क्षामोदरायै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षाम + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, dative singular); समासः कर्मधारयः ('slender-bellied')

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

• उदरम्: the belly
• उदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• सुकण्ठायै: to Sukāṇṭhā
• सुकण्ठायै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, dative singular); समासः कर्मधारयः ('beautiful-throated')

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कण्ठकम्: the throat/neck (region)
• कण्ठकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A paired worship scene: after Śiva, the devotee turns to Umā, offering aṅga-pūjā—touching head, belly, and throat—visualizing her as Sarvātman, Kṣāmodarā, and Sukaṇṭhā beside the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Umā
• Sarvātman
• Kṣāmodarā
• Sukaṇṭhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva and Umā are worshipped in complement: honoring the Divine Feminine through named forms cultivates devotion and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Revā Khaṇḍa’s vrata instructions; it does not name a particular tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After worshipping with the Sarvātman epithet, perform Umā’s aṅga-pūjā with specific names for belly and throat.