Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

शिवशब्दामृतास्वादः शिवार्चनकथाक्रमः । इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा देवदेवः पितामहः

Transliteration

śivaśabdāmṛtāsvādaḥ śivārcanakathākramaḥ | iti tadvacanaṃ śrutvā devadevaḥ pitāmahaḥ

Translation

‘ശിവ’ ശബ്ദാമൃതം ആസ്വദിച്ചുകൊണ്ടും ശിവാർചനയുടെ കഥാക്രമം വിവരിച്ചുകൊണ്ടും അദ്ദേഹം ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു. ആ വചനങ്ങൾ ശ്രവിച്ച ദേവദേവനായ പിതാമഹൻ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• शिवशब्दामृतास्वादः: the nectar-taste of the word ‘Śiva’
• शिवशब्दामृतास्वादः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-शब्द-अमृत-आस्वाद (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शिवशब्दरूपस्य अमृतस्य आस्वादः)

• शिवार्चनकथाक्रमः: the sequence of the account of Śiva-worship
• शिवार्चनकथाक्रमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-अर्चन-कथा-क्रम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवार्चनस्य कथायाः क्रमः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोग

• वचनम्: speech, statement
• वचनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया/Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done earlier)

• देवदेवः: the god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; transition verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pitāmaha (Brahmā) as primary hearer of Sanaka’s words

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sanaka, eyes half-closed in relish of ‘Śiva’ word-nectar, speaks; Brahmā (Pitāmaha) with four faces listens attentively, then turns as if to reply; manuscripts and ritual items indicate an unfolding ‘kathā-krama’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional speech—especially the name of Śiva and stories of his worship—is portrayed as ‘nectar’ that elevates the listener and the discourse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Aruṇācala/Śoṇādri, since the discourse belongs to Aruṇācalamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivārcana (worship of Śiva) is referenced generally, without procedural details.