Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अवगाह्य ततः पेया आपो वै नान्यथा बुधैः । धरायामक्षिपद्भागं द्वितीयं पद्मसंभवः

Transliteration

avagāhya tataḥ peyā āpo vai nānyathā budhaiḥ | dharāyāmakṣipadbhāgaṃ dvitīyaṃ padmasaṃbhavaḥ

Translation

Darum erklären die Weisen: Wasser ist wahrlich zum Baden und zum Trinken bestimmt – niemals anders. Dann warf der Lotosgeborene den zweiten Anteil auf die Erde.

Word by Word

• अवगाह्य: having plunged/bathed
• अवगाह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव + गाह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• पेया: (are) drinkable / should be drunk
• पेया: Kriya-Complement (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पेया (प्रातिपदिक; √पा ‘to drink’ से विधेयार्थ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective) आपः प्रति; ‘to be drunk’

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/आपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (pluralia tantum)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

• बुधैः: by the wise (people)
• बुधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• धरायाम्: on/in the earth
• धरायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अक्षिपत्: (he) cast/threw
• अक्षिपत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु) + अ (अगम/augment)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भागम्: a portion
• भागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वितीयम्: second
• द्वितीयम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् भागम् प्रति

• पद्म-सम्भवः: the lotus-born (Brahmā)
• पद्म-सम्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः पञ्चमी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषसदृशः (born from the lotus)

Speaker

Narrator (reporting Brahmā’s action and the resulting dharmic rule)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā’s decree is illustrated as pilgrims/sages immersing in a river and sipping water with cupped hands; Brahmā casts another portion onto the earth.

Characters & Entities

• Āpaḥ (waters)
• Dharā (earth)
• Padmasaṃbhava (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when cosmic impurity is narrated, dharma preserves the life-sustaining sanctity of water through regulated, wise use—bathing and drinking.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the principle supports river-tīrtha practice central to the Revā (Narmadā) tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Waters are prescribed for avagāha (ritual bathing) and for drinking, as affirmed by the wise.