Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

व्रतोपवाससंखिन्नो जपहोमरतः सदा । महादेवं महात्मानं वरदं शूलपाणिनम्

Transliteration

vratopavāsasaṃkhinno japahomarataḥ sadā | mahādevaṃ mahātmānaṃ varadaṃ śūlapāṇinam

Translation

व्रत-उपवासांनी खंगला तरी तो सदैव जप-होमात रत होता; त्याने महात्मा, वरद, शूलपाणी महादेवाची आराधना केली.

Word by Word

• व्रतोपवाससंखिन्नः: wearied by vows and fasting
• व्रतोपवाससंखिन्नः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत + उपवास + संखिन्न (प्रातिपदिक; √खिद् ‘क्लेशे’ से क्त, उपसर्ग सम्-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘व्रत-उपवासैः संखिन्नः’ (austere practices causing fatigue)

• जपहोमरतः: devoted to japa and homa
• जपहोमरतः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप + होम + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘जपे होमे च रतः’ (devoted to)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb): ‘always’

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महान् देवः’ (Śiva)

• महात्मानम्: great-souled
• महात्मानम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महान् आत्मा यस्य’ (as epithet)

• वरदम्: boon-giver
• वरदम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘boon-giving’

• शूलपाणिनम्: having a trident in hand
• शूलपाणिनम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूल + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘शूलः पाणौ यस्य’

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic devotee, thin from fasting, sits by a small homa-kunda on the riverbank, counting japa beads; above or before him stands Mahādeva, majestic, trident in hand, granting boons.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Śiva (Śūlapāṇi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity becomes fruitful when joined with steady devotion to Śiva through japa and homa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dārutīrtha context within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative (connected with the Narmadā region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata (vows), upavāsa (fasting), japa (mantra repetition), and homa (fire offerings).