Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

त्रैलोक्यसंक्षोभकरी सप्तार्णवविशोषणी । ततो लोकाः क्षुधाविष्टा भ्रमन्तीव दिशो दश

Transliteration

trailokyasaṃkṣobhakarī saptārṇavaviśoṣaṇī | tato lokāḥ kṣudhāviṣṭā bhramantīva diśo daśa

Translation

Sie erschütterte die drei Welten und trocknete die sieben Ozeane aus. Da irrten die Wesen, vom Hunger ergriffen, wie verwirrt durch die zehn Himmelsrichtungen.

Word by Word

• त्रैलोक्यसंक्षोभकरी: causing upheaval of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यसंक्षोभकरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संक्षोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (त्रैलोक्यस्य संक्षोभं करोति)

• सप्तार्णवविशोषणी: drying up the seven oceans
• सप्तार्णवविशोषणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + विशोषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (सप्तान् अर्णवान् विशोषयति)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/अनन्तर-अर्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• लोकाः: people/worlds
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• क्षुधाविष्टाः: afflicted by hunger
• क्षुधाविष्टाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) 'आविष्ट'; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (क्षुधया आविष्टाः = hunger-stricken)

• भ्रमन्ति: wander
• भ्रमन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison: 'as if')

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Revā-khaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Reva (Narmadā) tīrtha-s (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast apocalyptic panorama: oceans receding into cracked basins, the earth trembling, beings thin with hunger wandering in all directions under a turbulent sky; the compass itself feels unstable.

Characters & Entities

• Trailokya
• Seven oceans (Saptārṇava)
• Ten directions

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sustaining forces fail, even the oceans and directions offer no refuge—prompting remembrance of higher refuge and dharmic restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tirtha is named; the verse presents universal calamity imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it describes famine and cosmic disturbance.