Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मेन्द्रविष्णुप्रमुखैर्ह्यमरैश्च सहस्रशः । सेव्यते देवदेवेशः शङ्करस्तत्र पर्वते

Transliteration

brahmendraviṣṇupramukhairhyamaraiśca sahasraśaḥ | sevyate devadeveśaḥ śaṅkarastatra parvate

Translation

ആ പർവതത്തിൽ ദേവദേവേശനായ ശങ്കരനെ ബ്രഹ്മാവ്, ഇന്ദ്രൻ, വിഷ്ണു മുതലായ അമരന്മാർ ആയിരങ്ങളായി സേവിച്ചു ആരാധിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (stem used in compound)

• इन्द्र: Indra
• इन्द्र: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (stem used in compound)

• विष्णु: Viṣṇu
• विष्णु: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (stem used in compound)

• प्रमुखैः: by those headed by Brahmā, Indra, and Viṣṇu
• प्रमुखैः: Karaṇa (instrument/agent in passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pramukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन; समासः: ब्रह्म-इन्द्र-विष्णु-प्रमुखैः (ब्रह्मेन्द्रविष्णवः प्रमुखाः येषां तैः)

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

• अमरैः: by the immortals (gods)
• अमरैः: Karaṇa (instrument/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• सहस्रशः: in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in thousands; manifoldly)

• सेव्यते: is served/worshipped
• सेव्यते: Kriyā (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sev (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• देव: god
• देव: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (stem used in compound)

• देवेशः: Lord of the gods
• देवेशः: Karman (patient/subject in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: देव-देवेशः (देवानां देवेशः)

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करः: Karman (subject in passive; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; देवदेवेशस्य समानाधिकरणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• पर्वते: on the mountain
• पर्वते: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakaṇṭaka

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a sacred mountain shrine, Śaṅkara is worshipped by vast assemblies of devas—Brahmā with four faces, Indra with vajra, Viṣṇu with śaṅkha-cakra—offering flowers and incense before a radiant liṅga or Śiva form amid celestial light.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Brahmā
• Indra
• Viṣṇu
• Devas
• Amarakaṇṭaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s supremacy is affirmed: even the highest devas honor Him at the foremost tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Amarakaṇṭaka, presented as a divine worship-center frequented by the devas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit worship (sevā) of Śaṅkara is praised; no specific rite is detailed.