Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

रुधिरं वर्षते देवो मिश्रितं कर्करैर्बहु । अग्निकुण्डेषु विप्राणां हुतः सम्यग्घुताशनः

Transliteration

rudhiraṃ varṣate devo miśritaṃ karkarairbahu | agnikuṇḍeṣu viprāṇāṃ hutaḥ samyagghutāśanaḥ

Translation

أمطر الإلهُ دمًا كثيفًا ممزوجًا بكثيرٍ من الشظايا الخشنة؛ وفي حُفَرِ النار لدى البراهمة، قُدِّمت القرابينُ في النار القربانية—وقد استُحضرت على الوجه الصحيح—فاشتعلت متألّقةً.

Word by Word

• रुधिरम्: blood
• रुधिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वर्षते: rains down
• वर्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• देवः: the god (sky)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मिश्रितम्: mixed
• मिश्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिश्रि (धातु) → मिश्रित (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying) रुधिरम्

• कर्करैः: with gravel/pebbles
• कर्करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• बहु: much; abundant
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying) रुधिरम्

• अग्निकुण्डेषु: in the fire-pits
• अग्निकुण्डेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अग्नेः कुण्डम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• हुतः: offered; poured as oblation
• हुतः: Predicate (Vidheyavisheshana/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हु (धातु) → हुत (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb: ‘properly’)

• हुताशनः: Fire (Agni)
• हुताशनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत + अशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (हुतं अश्नाति इति/यस्य; ‘oblation-eater’ = fire); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpottama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crimson rain falls with gritty fragments while brāhmaṇas tend blazing fire-pits; the sacrificial flame roars, asserting ritual order against a terrifying sky.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Agni (Hutāśana)
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When cosmic order is overturned, even nature shows terrifying portents; yet Vedic rites and sacred fire remain markers of dharma amid upheaval.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Revā-khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred region) within the Āvantya-khaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on omens rather than a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reference is made to properly performed offerings into the fire-pits of Brāhmaṇas (homa in agni-kuṇḍas), emphasizing correct ritual procedure (samyak).