Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

मत्तोऽप्यनंतात्परतः परस्मात्समस्तभूताधिपतेर्न किंचित् । तेषां किमुस्यादितरेण येषां द्विजेश्वराणां मम मार्गवादिनाम्

Transliteration

matto'pyanaṃtātparataḥ parasmātsamastabhūtādhipaterna kiṃcit | teṣāṃ kimusyāditareṇa yeṣāṃ dvijeśvarāṇāṃ mama mārgavādinām

Translation

నాకన్నా పరముగా—అనంతునికన్నా పరముగా—సమస్తభూతాధిపతి పరమేశ్వరునికన్నా పరముగా—ఏదియు లేదు. నా మార్గాన్ని ప్రకటించే ద్విజేశ్వరులకు మరేదైన అవసరం ఏముంది?

Word by Word

• mattaḥ: than me/from me
• mattaḥ: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावक अव्यय (also/even)

• anantāt: than the Infinite (Ananta)
• anantāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचन

• parataḥ: beyond/further
• parataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paratas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (comparative adverb: beyond/further)

• parasmāt: than the Supreme/other
• parasmāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचन

• samasta-bhūta-adhipateḥ: than the lord of all beings
• samasta-bhūta-adhipateḥ: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (समस्तानां भूतानाम् अधिपतिः)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• u: indeed/then
• u: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: u (अव्यय)
• Form: अनुनासिक/नूनार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• syāt: could be/would be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• itareṇa: by another/with someone else
• itareṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया एकवचन

• yeṣām: of whom
• yeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• dvija-īśvarāṇām: of the lords among the twice-born
• dvija-īśvarāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् ईश्वराः)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mārga-vādinām: of those who speak/teach my path
• mārga-vādinām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक) + vādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मार्गं वदन्ति ये)

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijendra/brāhmaṇa-lords

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-like figure speaks with calm certainty to brāhmaṇa-lords; the background suggests cosmic vastness—layers of infinity and the Supreme—yet the speaker’s path is presented as complete; brāhmaṇas hold manuscripts and rosaries.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ultimate refuge is the Supreme Lord; those devoted to and teaching that path lack nothing essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is theological, praising adherence to the Lord’s path.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes devotion to and proclamation of the proper mārga (path).