Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

त्वं शङ्करत्वं हि महेश्वरोऽसि प्रधानमग्र्यं त्वमसि प्रविष्टः । त्वं विष्णुरीशः प्रपितामहश्च त्वं सप्तजिह्वस्त्वमनन्तजिह्वः

Transliteration

tvaṃ śaṅkaratvaṃ hi maheśvaro'si pradhānamagryaṃ tvamasi praviṣṭaḥ | tvaṃ viṣṇurīśaḥ prapitāmahaśca tvaṃ saptajihvastvamanantajihvaḥ

Translation

Engkaulah Śaṅkara; Engkaulah Maheśvara. Engkau meresapi Pradhāna yang purba, sumber yang paling utama. Engkaulah Viṣṇu, Sang Īśa, dan juga Prapitāmaha (Brahmā). Engkaulah api yang bertujuh lidah, dan Engkaulah yang berlidah tanpa batas.

Word by Word

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (2nd person pronoun used as subject)

• śaṅkaratvam: Śaṅkara-hood; being Śaṅkara
• śaṅkaratvam: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara + tva (प्रातिपदिक + तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (state of being Śaṅkara)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय; हेतौ/निश्चये (indeed/for)

• maheśvaraḥ: Mahēśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + īśvara (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (great lord)

• asi: are
• asi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 2nd sg)

• pradhānam: the Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• pradhānam: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• agryam: foremost
• agryam: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• asi: are
• asi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• praviṣṭaḥ: entered; pervading
• praviṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + viś (विश् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (entered/pervaded)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• īśaḥ: Lord
• īśaḥ: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prapitāmahaḥ: great-grandfather (Brahmā)
• prapitāmahaḥ: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prapitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• saptajihvaḥ: the seven-tongued (fire)
• saptajihvaḥ: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta + jihva (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (sapta-jihva: seven-tongued)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• anantajihvaḥ: the endless-tongued
• anantajihvaḥ: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta + jihva (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (ananta-jihva: having endless tongues)

Speaker

Likely Indra / Devas (continuing stuti); exact speaker not explicit in the snippet

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic identification tableau: Śiva is praised as Śaṅkara and Maheśvara, simultaneously appearing with hints of Viṣṇu and Brahmā, and as sacrificial fire with seven tongues expanding into infinite flames.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Pradhāna
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā (Prapitāmaha)
• Agni (seven tongues)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The hymn teaches unity: the one Supreme appears as Śiva, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and the sacrificial fire—one reality in many functions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; it is theological praise within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indirectly honors Agni and yajña imagery (seven tongues), encouraging worship through sacrificial and devotional frameworks.