Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ललाटे तु महादेवो ह्यश्विनौ कर्णसंस्थितौ । नरनारायणौ शृङ्गे शृङ्गमध्ये पितामहः

Transliteration

lalāṭe tu mahādevo hyaśvinau karṇasaṃsthitau | naranārāyaṇau śṛṅge śṛṅgamadhye pitāmahaḥ

Translation

اس کی پیشانی پر مہادیو جلوہ فرما ہے؛ اشوِنی کمار اس کے کانوں میں مقیم ہیں۔ اس کے سینگوں پر نر اور نارائن ہیں، اور سینگوں کے بیچ پِتامہ (برہما) ہے۔

Word by Word

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/निश्चय-अव्यय (emphatic/causal particle)

• अश्विनौ: the two Aśvins
• अश्विनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• कर्णसंस्थितौ: situated in the ears
• कर्णसंस्थितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थित (स्था-धातु, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); विशेषणम् (विशेष्यः: अश्विनौ)

• नरनारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

• शृङ्गे: on the horn
• शृङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शृङ्गमध्ये: in the middle of the horn
• शृङ्गमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kapilā cow’s forehead bears Mahādeva’s presence; her ears host the twin Aśvins; her horns carry Nara and Nārāyaṇa, with Brahmā enthroned between the horns—shown as subtle divine emblems hovering over each part.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Aśvins
• Nara-Nārāyaṇa
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sectarian harmony is implied: Śiva, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu-associated figures are all seated together, presenting the tīrtha as universally sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā-tīrtha is glorified by depicting its presiding sanctity as the very seat of major deities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse is theological praise establishing why the tīrtha is worthy of snāna, dāna, and darśana.