Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अत्रिरुवाच । साधु साधु महाप्राज्ञे मम संतोषकारिणि । आज्ञाता त्वं मया भद्रे पुत्रार्थं तप आश्रय

Transliteration

atriruvāca | sādhu sādhu mahāprājñe mama saṃtoṣakāriṇi | ājñātā tvaṃ mayā bhadre putrārthaṃ tapa āśraya

Translation

অত্রি বললেন— সাধু, সাধু, হে মহাপ্রাজ্ঞে, আমার হৃদয়-সন্তোষকারিণী। হে ভদ্রে, আমার আজ্ঞায় তুমি পুত্রার্থে তপস্যার আশ্রয় গ্রহণ কর।

Word by Word

• अत्रिः: Atri (sage)
• अत्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• साधु: well done
• साधु: Sambodhana/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसार्थक-निपात (particle of approval)

• साधु: well done
• साधु: Sambodhana/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-प्रशंसा (repeated approval)

• महाप्राज्ञे: O very wise (lady)
• महाप्राज्ञे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक: महा + प्राज्ञ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• संतोषकारिणि: O one who causes satisfaction
• संतोषकारिणि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतोषकारिणी (प्रातिपदिक: संतोष + कारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• आज्ञाता: one who commands / commander
• आज्ञाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भद्रे: O auspicious one / dear lady
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्रार्थम्: for the sake of a son
• पुत्रार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रार्थ (प्रातिपदिक: पुत्र + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजनार्थक (purpose)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आश्रय: take refuge in / undertake
• आश्रय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Atri

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: An auspicious woman (addressed as bhadre; likely his wife in narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Atri, serene and authoritative, blesses and instructs an auspicious woman to undertake tapas for a son; a hermitage setting with riverine sanctity implied.

Characters & Entities

• Atri
• Anasūyā (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity becomes dharmically grounded when guided by consent, right counsel, and a righteous household context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the narrative sits within the Revā (Narmadā) Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking tapas (austerity) explicitly for putrārtha (obtaining progeny) with the elder’s authorization.