Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तथा बुद्धत्वमपरं नवमं प्राप्स्यतेऽच्युतः । शान्तिमान्देवदेवेशो मधुहन्ता मधुप्रियः

Transliteration

tathā buddhatvamaparaṃ navamaṃ prāpsyate'cyutaḥ | śāntimāndevadeveśo madhuhantā madhupriyaḥ

Translation

তদ্রূপ অচ্যুত নবম অবতারে বুদ্ধত্ব লাভ করবেন—শান্তিময়, দেবদেবেশ, মধুহন্তা ও মধুপ্রিয়।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

• बुद्धत्वम्: Buddhahood
• बुद्धत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्ध-त्व (प्रातिपदिक; बुद्ध + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक-त्वान्त; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (बुद्धस्य भावः)

• अपरम्: another
• अपरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (बुद्धत्वम्)

• नवमम्: ninth
• नवमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक; विशेषणम् (बुद्धत्वम्)

• प्राप्स्यते: will attain
• प्राप्स्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अच्युतः: Acyuta (Viṣṇu)
• अच्युतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शान्तिमान्: peaceful
• शान्तिमान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्ति-मत् (प्रातिपदिक; शान्ति + मत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त; (शान्तिः अस्य अस्ति)

• देवदेवेशः: Lord of the god of gods / supreme lord
• देवदेवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; देव + देव + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवस्य ईशः / देवदेवानाम् ईशः)

• मधुहन्ता: slayer of Madhu
• मधुहन्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु-हन् (प्रातिपदिक; मधु + हन्तृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (मधुं हन्ति इति)

• मधुप्रियः: fond of honey/sweetness
• मधुप्रियः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधु-प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; मधु + प्रिय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मधु प्रियं यस्य / मधोः प्रियः)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual attribution within the Revākhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bodhgayā (implied by Buddha-form)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed earlier in the sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau of Acyuta as the ninth manifestation: serene Buddha-form radiating peace, yet marked by divine majesty (‘devadeveśa’), with subtle symbols of Madhuhantṛ identity retained as a theological overlay.

Characters & Entities

• Acyuta (Viṣṇu)
• Devadeveśa
• Madhu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision presents divine descents as strategic interventions—sometimes marked by peace and persuasion—to steer the world’s moral trajectory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is praised in this verse; it is doctrinal/prophetic within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a theological identification of an avatāra.