Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे घोरां सप्तसप्तकसंज्ञिताम् । महावीच्यौघफेनाढ्यां कुर्वन्तीं सजलं जगत्

Transliteration

etasminnantare ghorāṃ saptasaptakasaṃjñitām | mahāvīcyaughaphenāḍhyāṃ kurvantīṃ sajalaṃ jagat

Translation

Inzwischen erhob sich ein schrecklicher Zustand, «Sieben-Sieben» genannt: reich an Schaum aus Strömen gewaltiger Wogen, machte er die ganze Welt zu einer einzigen Wassermasse.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• अन्तरे: in the interval/meanwhile
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• घोराम्: terrible
• घोराम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• सप्त-सप्तक-संज्ञिताम्: called ‘seven-sevens’
• सप्त-सप्तक-संज्ञिताम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या) + सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• महा-वीचि-ओघ-फेन-आढ्याम्: abounding in foam from torrents of great waves
• महा-वीचि-ओघ-फेन-आढ्याम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वीचि (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + फेन (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• कुर्वन्तीम्: making/causing
• कुर्वन्तीम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुर्वत् (कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle)

• स-जलम्: full of water
• स-जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saptasaptaka (as a named condition/event) in Revā-khaṇḍa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Royal addressee (Bhārata)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sudden dreadful state called ‘Seven-Sevens’ arises: colossal wave-torrents and foam engulf everything, turning the world into a single expanse of water.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos is subject to overwhelming cycles of dissolution; spiritual steadiness comes from aligning with dharma and the divine beyond such upheavals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred Narmadā setting frames the narrative, though this verse focuses on cosmic inundation rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated; the verse is descriptive of a pralaya-like event.