Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

तस्य योगबलोपेतो महादेवस्य पाण्डव । नखमांसान्तरे गुप्तो यथा देवो न पश्यति

Transliteration

tasya yogabalopeto mahādevasya pāṇḍava | nakhamāṃsāntare gupto yathā devo na paśyati

Translation

ഹേ പാണ്ഡവ, യോഗബലസമ്പന്നമായ ആ ഭൂതം മഹാദേവന്റെ നഖവും മാംസവും ഇടയിലുള്ള സൂക്ഷ്മസ്ഥാനത്ത് ദേവൻ കാണാതിരിക്കുവാൻ മറഞ്ഞിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• योगबलोपेतः: endowed with yogic power
• योगबलोपेतः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योगबल (प्रातिपदिक; योग+बल) + उपेत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √इ 'उप+इ' = प्राप्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपदसमासभावः: योगबलेन उपेतः (endowed with yogic power)

• महादेवस्य: of Mahādeva
• महादेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक; महा+देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• पाण्डव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• नखमांसान्तरे: in the space between nail and flesh
• नखमांसान्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: नखस्य मांसस्य च अन्तरम् (between nail and flesh)

• गुप्तः: hidden
• गुप्तः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गुप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• यथा: as, so that
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/conj.)

• देवः: the god (Mahādeva)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Kriya-nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (addressing ‘Pāṇḍava’ as listener within the frame-story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra – Śiva-ālaya precinct

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava (as addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A subtle spirit-being, empowered by yoga, shrinks and hides in an impossibly narrow crevice between Śiva’s nail and flesh, attempting to evade divine sight.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Mahābhūta
• Pāṇḍava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yogic power can conceal, but not ultimately escape divine omniscience; the Purāṇic arc emphasizes that dharma is finally upheld by Mahādeva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the movement to Śaṅkara’s abode (a Śiva sanctuary) within the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is mythic description highlighting yoga-śakti and the supremacy of Mahādeva.