Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा महादेवोऽमोघं बीजमुत्तमम् । हव्यवाहमुखे सर्वं प्रक्षिप्यान्तरधीयत

Transliteration

evamuktvā mahādevo'moghaṃ bījamuttamam | havyavāhamukhe sarvaṃ prakṣipyāntaradhīyata

Translation

So sprechend legte Mahādeva den erhabenen, unfehlbaren Samen ganz in den Mund des Havyavāha (Agni) und entschwand darauf dem Blick.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/Absolutive)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-देव (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अमोघम्: unfailing
• अमोघम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमोघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• बीजम्: seed
• बीजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• हव्यवाहमुखे: in the mouth of Havyavāha (Fire)
• हव्यवाहमुखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य-वाह-मुख (प्रातिपदिक; हव्य + वाह + मुख)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all of it/entirely
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (समस्त-वाचक)

• प्रक्षिप्य: having thrown/cast
• प्रक्षिप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/Absolutive); उपसर्ग: प्र-

• अन्तरधीयत: disappeared/vanished
• अन्तरधीयत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर्धा (धातु/धात्वर्थ; अन्तर् + धा)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agni (Havyavāha) as recipient of the act

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva places the unfailing seed into Agni’s mouth; immediately after, Śiva vanishes (antardhāna), leaving Agni radiant and burdened.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mahādeva)
• Agni (Havyavāha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is transmitted through ordained cosmic channels; when carried according to divine instruction, it becomes a source of auspicious fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the sacred narrative within the Revā Khaṇḍa framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None for human performance; it narrates Śiva placing the bīja into Agni and then disappearing.