Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

षण्मुखेन पुरा तात सर्वपातकनाशनम् । आराध्य परया भक्त्या सिद्धिः प्राप्ता नराधिप

Transliteration

ṣaṇmukhena purā tāta sarvapātakanāśanam | ārādhya parayā bhaktyā siddhiḥ prāptā narādhipa

Translation

Pada zaman dahulu, wahai yang dikasihi, dengan memuja Ṣaṇmukha, pemusnah segala dosa, dengan bhakti yang tertinggi, maka tercapailah siddhi, wahai raja.

Word by Word

• षण्मुखेन: by Ṣaṇmukha (the six-faced one)
• षण्मुखेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly; in ancient times
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• तात: O dear one; O son
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: the destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पातक + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• परया: supreme; intense
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of 'भक्त्या'

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सिद्धिः: success; attainment
• सिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्ता: was obtained
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'सिद्धिः' इत्यस्य विधेय (predicate)

• नराधिप: O lord of men (king)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context: Purāṇic narrator addressing a king/prince)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara tīrtha (Ṣaṇmukha-ārādhana-prasiddha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee (or archetypal sādhaka) worships Ṣaṇmukha with intense devotion at a riverbank shrine; Skanda’s six faces glow; offerings of flowers, lamps, and incense; the king listens as Mārkaṇḍeya narrates the ancient attainment of siddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda/Kumāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme devotion to Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha) is portrayed as a direct means to destroy sin and attain spiritual success.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets the devotional premise; the specific tīrtha is elaborated in the surrounding Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes ārādhana (devotional worship) of Ṣaṇmukha with parā-bhakti (highest devotion).