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

দেবতা বহু কঙ্করসদৃশ কণায় মিশ্রিত রক্তবৃষ্টি করলেন। আর ব্রাহ্মণদের অগ্নিকুণ্ডে সম্যক্ আহূত হুতাশনকে বিধিপূর্বক আহুতি দেওয়া হল, এবং অগ্নি প্রজ্বলিত হল।

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).