Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

देवराजस्ततो ज्ञात्वा महामैथुनगं हरम् । संमन्त्र्य दैवतैः सार्द्धं प्रैषयज्जातवेदसम्

Transliteration

devarājastato jñātvā mahāmaithunagaṃ haram | saṃmantrya daivataiḥ sārddhaṃ praiṣayajjātavedasam

Translation

Darauf erkannte der König der Devas, dass Hara in einen mächtigen Akt der Vereinigung eingetreten war; er beriet sich mit den Göttern und entsandte Jātavedas (Agni).

Word by Word

• देवराजः: the king of the gods (Indra)
• देवराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — subject

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘then/thereupon’

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Sambandha (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त — ‘having known’

• महामैथुनगम्: greatly engaged in union
• महामैथुनगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + मैथुनग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — qualifying ‘हरम्’

• हरम्: Hara (Śiva)
• हरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — object of ‘ज्ञात्वा’ (and contextually of action)

• संमन्त्र्य: having consulted
• संमन्त्र्य: Sambandha (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + मन्त्र् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund) — ‘having consulted’

• दैवतैः: with the deities
• दैवतैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण/सह), बहुवचन — instrumental plural; accompaniment

• सार्द्धम्: together with
• सार्द्धम्: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्द्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्गार्थ/सह-निपात) — ‘together with’

• प्रैषयत्: sent
• प्रैषयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + इष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘sent’

• जातवेदसम्: Jātavedas (Agni)
• जातवेदसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (जातं वेदः यस्य = ‘whose knowledge is innate’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — object of ‘प्रैषयत्’ (Agni)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, realizing Śiva is engaged in great union, convenes the gods; Agni is appointed and sent as emissary, flames contained in a divine form.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Devarāja)
• Śiva (Hara)
• Agni (Jātavedas)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma portrays cosmic order being upheld through coordinated divine responsibility—each deity performs a role in a larger sacred aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā sacred region is the textual setting, but no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse narrates the Devas’ decision to send Agni.