Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ततः स्वप्ने महातेजा हुतभुग्ब्राह्मणांस्तदा । उवाच श्रूयतां सर्वैर्मम नाशस्य कारणम्

Transliteration

tataḥ svapne mahātejā hutabhugbrāhmaṇāṃstadā | uvāca śrūyatāṃ sarvairmama nāśasya kāraṇam

Translation

তখন স্বপ্নে মহাতেজস্বী হুতভুক্ (অগ্নি) ব্রাহ্মণদের বললেন—“তোমরা সকলে আমার অন্তর্ধানের কারণ শোন।”

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: 'तस्मात्/ततः' (thereafter/from that)

• स्वप्ने: in a dream
• स्वप्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• महातेजाः: the very radiant one
• महातेजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-tejas (प्रातिपदिक; महा + तेजस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• हुतभुक्: Agni (the oblation-eater)
• हुतभुक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: huta-bhuj (प्रातिपदिक; हुत + भुज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (अग्निः)

• ब्राह्मणान्: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्म (object)

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) = temporal adverb

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'said/spoke'

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): 'let it be heard'

• सर्वैः: by all (of you)
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण (instrumental)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• नाशस्य: of (my) destruction
• नाशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• कारणम्: the cause
• कारणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

Speaker

Agni (Hutabhuk) (in dream)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha context (unspecified sub-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (in dream)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nighttime dream-vision: radiant Agni (Hutabhuk/Vaiśvānara) appears to a circle of brāhmaṇas, speaking solemnly about the reason for his ‘disappearance’; flames form a face and mouth from which words emerge.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Hutabhuk)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Svapna (dream)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere tapas and dharmic intent invite divine clarification; the sacred can respond through visions and dreams.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative and does not praise a named tīrtha; it occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it presents svapna-upadeśa (instruction via dream) as the means by which the cause is disclosed.