Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

नमः शूलाग्रहस्ताय नमः खट्वाङ्गधारिणे । जय भूतपते देव दक्षयज्ञविनाशन

Transliteration

namaḥ śūlāgrahastāya namaḥ khaṭvāṅgadhāriṇe | jaya bhūtapate deva dakṣayajñavināśana

Translation

ശൂലാഗ്രം കൈയിൽ ധരിക്കുന്നവനേ നമസ്കാരം; ഖട്വാംഗധാരിയേ നമസ്കാരം. ഹേ ഭൂതപതേ ദേവാ, ദക്ഷയജ്ഞവിനാശകാ, ജയം നിനക്കു!

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation / homage
• namaḥ: Sambodhana-prayoga (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/interjection), नमस्कारार्थे (used for salutation)

• śūlāgrahastāya: to the one whose hand holds the spear-point (trident)
• śūlāgrahastāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūlāgra + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• namaḥ: homage
• namaḥ: Sambodhana-prayoga (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/interjection), नमस्कारार्थे

• khaṭvāṅgadhāriṇe: to the bearer of the khaṭvāṅga staff
• khaṭvāṅgadhāriṇe: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaṭvāṅga + dhārin (प्रातिपदिक); dhārin < dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• jaya: be victorious
• jaya: Sambodhana-prayoga (Benedictive address)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhūtapate: O lord of beings
• bhūtapate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• dakṣayajñavināśana: O destroyer of Dakṣa's sacrifice
• dakṣayajñavināśana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa + yajña + vināśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Devas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas bow to weapon-bearing Śiva: trident raised, khaṭvāṅga held, surrounded by gaṇas; the memory of Dakṣa’s disrupted sacrifice lingers as a cautionary backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhūtas
• Dakṣa
• Dakṣa-yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is hailed as the supreme regulator of dharma, who overturns prideful ritualism (Dakṣa’s yajña) when it lacks true reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa hymn-sequence; the tīrtha context is the Narmadā sacred region where Śiva is worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it implicitly critiques mere ritual without devotion, emphasizing namas (salutation) and praise.