Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

आवृत्तैः प्रथमांगैश्च पंचभिर्मूर्त्तिशक्तिभिः । त्रिशक्तिमूर्त्तिभिश्चान्यैर्निधिद्वयसमन्वितैः

Transliteration

āvṛttaiḥ prathamāṃgaiśca paṃcabhirmūrttiśaktibhiḥ | triśaktimūrttibhiścānyairnidhidvayasamanvitaiḥ

Translation

Baginda (Sadāśiva) hendaklah dipuja sebagai Yang dilingkungi oleh lingkaran-lingkaran awaraṇa yang pertama—oleh lima śakti yang menjelma sebagai mūrti ketuhanan, serta mūrti-śakti lain yang berdaya tiga, bersama sepasang nidhī (khazanah suci).

Word by Word

• आवृत्तैः: by/with (those) covered/encircled
• आवृत्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आवृत्त (कृदन्त; √वृत्/वृत्त् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), बहुवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘आवृत्त’ = covered/encircled

• प्रथम-अङ्गैः: with the first limbs/parts
• प्रथम-अङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रथमस्य अङ्गानि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• पञ्चभिः: with five
• पञ्चभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्याशब्द; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संख्याविशेषणम्

• मूर्त्ति-शक्तिभिः: with the powers of embodiment/forms
• मूर्त्ति-शक्तिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्त्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मूर्त्तेः शक्तयः)

• त्रि-शक्ति-मूर्त्तिभिः: with the forms having three powers
• त्रि-शक्ति-मूर्त्तिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्त्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (त्रयः शक्तयः यस्याः/यासां मूर्तयः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अन्यैः: with others
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (others)

• निधि-द्वय-समन्वितैः: with those endowed with two treasures
• निधि-द्वय-समन्वितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या) + समन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ (धातु) उपसर्ग-सम्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः; ‘समन्वित’ = endowed/associated; ‘निधिद्वय’ = two treasures

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa ritual instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A central Sadāśiva icon/yantra enthroned, encircled by concentric āvaraṇas: first ring of five mūrti-śaktis, then additional form-powers with three energies, with the two nidhis depicted as auspicious treasure-guardians at the periphery.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva
• Śakti
• Nidhi (pair of treasures)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity is approached through ordered layers of reverence—honoring the Lord together with His manifest powers and supporting cosmic principles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on the inner architecture of worship (āvaraṇa-pūjā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship is performed by arranging enclosures (āvaraṇas) and venerating specific śaktis and attendant principles (including a pair of nidhis).