Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

बलभद्रेण राजेन्द्र प्राणिनामुपकारतः । स्थापितः परया भक्त्या शङ्करः पापनाशनः

Transliteration

balabhadreṇa rājendra prāṇināmupakārataḥ | sthāpitaḥ parayā bhaktyā śaṅkaraḥ pāpanāśanaḥ

Translation

Hỡi bậc vương chủ, vì lợi ích của muôn loài, Balabhadra với lòng bhakti tối thượng đã thiết lập Śaṅkara tại đó—Śaṅkara, đấng diệt trừ tội lỗi.

Word by Word

• बलभद्रेण: by Balabhadra
• बलभद्रेण: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• उपकारतः: for the benefit
• उपकारतः: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपकारतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb) — हेतौ/निमित्ते 'for the benefit (of)'

• स्थापितः: was installed/established
• स्थापितः: Kriya (Predicative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्थापय् + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि — 'was स्थापित/installed'

• परया: supreme/utter
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् भक्त्या-शब्दस्य

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापनाशनः: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + नाशन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् शङ्करः-शब्दस्य

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Mārkaṇḍeya continuing instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃkarṣaṇa (Śaṅkara-pratiṣṭhā site)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Balabhadra, radiant and resolute, installs Śaṅkara at the Narmadā bank: a liṅga set on a pedestal, priests and devas witnessing; the act is framed as compassion for all creatures, with the river as sacred witness.

Characters & Entities

• Balabhadra
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True bhakti expresses itself as loka-kalyāṇa: establishing dharma-supporting worship for the spiritual good of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Saṃkarṣaṇa area in Revā Khaṇḍa, where Śaṅkara is said to be established by Balabhadra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-sthāpana (installation/establishment of Śaṅkara) is referenced as the sanctifying act.