Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

दानव उवाच । अचला दीयतां भक्तिर्मम स्थैर्यं तवोपरि । अपरं वर्षसाहस्रं निर्विघ्नं मे गतं विभो

Transliteration

dānava uvāca | acalā dīyatāṃ bhaktirmama sthairyaṃ tavopari | aparaṃ varṣasāhasraṃ nirvighnaṃ me gataṃ vibho

Translation

दानव उवाच—अचला मे भक्तिर्दीयतां त्वयि, तवोपरि मम स्थैर्यं च। अपरं वर्षसाहस्रं मे निर्विघ्नं गतं, हे विभो॥

Word by Word

• dānavaḥ: the demon (Dānava)
• dānavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• acalā: Acalā (the immovable one; name)
• acalā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dīyatām: let (it) be given
• dīyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• bhaktiḥ: devotion
• bhaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mama: of me / my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• sthairyam: steadfastness
• sthairyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthairya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tava: of you / your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• upari: upon / over
• upari: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/अव्यय-प्रयोग (prepositional adverb)

• aparam: another / further
• aparam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• varṣa-sāhasram: a thousand years
• varṣa-sāhasram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sāhasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (varṣāṇāṃ sāhasram = a thousand of years)

• nirvighnam: unobstructed
• nirvighnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirvighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• me: to me / for me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Dat./Gen. 4th/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• gatam: gone / passed
• gatam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; (may be used predicatively: 'has gone/has passed')

• vibho: O Lord
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Dānava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Dānava ascetic, emaciated yet radiant from tapas, stands on the Narmadā bank with folded hands, requesting unwavering devotion; Śiva’s presence is implied as a luminous, tranquil form.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava
• Śiva (Vibhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest boon is steadfast devotion (acalā bhakti), valued even above worldly gains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is directly praised; the narrative belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā-region sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is prescribed; the verse records a boon-request rooted in long tapas.