Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

मारुतः शीतलो वाति वनं स्पृष्ट्वा सुशोभनम् । वातेन प्रेरितो गन्धो दानवो घ्राणपीडितः

Transliteration

mārutaḥ śītalo vāti vanaṃ spṛṣṭvā suśobhanam | vātena prerito gandho dānavo ghrāṇapīḍitaḥ

Translation

هبَّ نسيمٌ باردٌ يلامس الغابة البهيّة. وبذلك الهواء اندفعت الرائحة حتى بلغت الدانافا، فغلبت أنفه وأرهقته شدّتها.

Word by Word

• मारुतः: wind
• मारुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• शीतलः: cool
• शीतलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with मारुतः

• वाति: blows
• वाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Present indicative 3rd sg.

• वनम्: the forest
• वनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having touched’

• सुशोभनम्: very beautiful
• सुशोभनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुशोभन (प्रातिपदिक; सु + शोभन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifies वनम्

• वातेन: by the wind
• वातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• प्रेरितः: driven
• प्रेरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-ईर्/ईर् (धातु) → प्रेरित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘impelled/driven’

• गन्धः: fragrance
• गन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• दानवः: the demon
• दानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• घ्राणपीडितः: afflicted in the nose / tormented by smell
• घ्राणपीडितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घ्राणपीडित (प्रातिपदिक; घ्राण + पीडित[क्त])
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (पीडित) समासान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifies दानवः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king) implied in the passage sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cool wind passes through a beautiful forest, lifting flower-scents and carrying them toward a Dānava; the fragrance strikes him powerfully, changing his inner state.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even subtle sense-objects can dominate the mind; spiritual discipline includes guarding the senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra’s sacred woodland setting along the Narmadā, depicted as filled with extraordinary purity and allure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual practice is prescribed in this verse.