Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

जय नीलकंठ वरवृषभगमन जय सकललोकदुरितानुशमन । जय सिद्धसुरासुरविनतचरण जय रुद्र रौद्रभवजलधितरण

Transliteration

jaya nīlakaṃṭha varavṛṣabhagamana jaya sakalalokaduritānuśamana | jaya siddhasurāsuravinatacaraṇa jaya rudra raudrabhavajaladhitaraṇa

Translation

ଜୟ ନୀଳକଣ୍ଠ, ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବୃଷଭବାହନ; ଜୟ, ଯିଏ ସମସ୍ତ ଲୋକର ପାପ-ଦୁଃଖ ଶମନ କରନ୍ତି। ଜୟ, ଯାହାଙ୍କ ଚରଣେ ସିଦ୍ଧ, ଦେବ ଓ ଅସୁର ନତ; ଜୟ ରୁଦ୍ର, ଯିଏ ଭୟଙ୍କର ଭବସାଗର ପାର କରାନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• jaya: hail! victory to!
• jaya: Sambodhana (Vocative address marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jaya (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Avyaya; sambodhana-arthaka udgāra (exclamation of victory/praise)

• nīlakaṃṭha: O Blue-throated One (Śiva)
• nīlakaṃṭha: Sambodhana (Addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṃṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (8th/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana; epithet used in address

• varavṛṣabhagamana: O rider/one who goes with the noble bull
• varavṛṣabhagamana: Sambodhana (Addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक) + gamana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (8th/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana; (vara-vṛṣabha)-gamana = whose going/vehicle is the excellent bull

• jaya: hail!
• jaya: Sambodhana (Vocative address marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jaya (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Avyaya; sambodhana-arthaka udgāra

• sakalalokaduritānuśamana: O remover of the sins of all worlds
• sakalalokaduritānuśamana: Sambodhana (Addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + durita (प्रातिपदिक) + anuśamana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (8th/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana; sakala-loka-durita-anuśamana = pacifier/remover of sins of all worlds

• jaya: hail!
• jaya: Sambodhana (Vocative address marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jaya (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Avyaya; sambodhana-arthaka udgāra

• siddhasurāsuravinatacaraṇa: O one whose feet are bowed to by siddhas, gods, and asuras
• siddhasurāsuravinatacaraṇa: Sambodhana (Addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक) + sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + vinata (कृदन्त; √nam/नम्, kta) + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (8th/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana; siddha-sura-asura-vinata-caraṇa = whose feet are bowed to by siddhas, gods and asuras

• jaya: hail!
• jaya: Sambodhana (Vocative address marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jaya (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Avyaya; sambodhana-arthaka udgāra

• rudra: O Rudra
• rudra: Sambodhana (Addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (8th/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

• raudrabhavajaladhitaraṇa: O crosser of the ocean of dreadful existence
• raudrabhavajaladhitaraṇa: Sambodhana (Addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक) + bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + jaladhi (प्रातिपदिक) + taraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (8th/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana; raudra-bhava-jaladhi-taraṇa = ferry/crosser of the ocean of fierce worldly existence

Speaker

Bāṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at the Narmadā bank offers añjali while Śiva as Nīlakaṇṭha appears with Vṛṣabha, surrounded by siddhas and devas bowing; the river glows like a path across the ocean of becoming.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Nīlakaṇṭha, Rudra)
• Siddhas
• Devas
• Asuras
• Bull (Vṛṣabha/Nandin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the liberator who removes sin and ferries devotees across saṃsāra (the ocean of becoming).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the verse is a general Śaiva mokṣa-oriented praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse supports nāma-kīrtana and stotra as purifying practices.