Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा पञ्च वराहान्वै पौरुषे महति स्थितः । आप्लवन्नर्मदातोये श्राद्धं कृत्वा यथाविधि

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā pañca varāhānvai pauruṣe mahati sthitaḥ | āplavannarmadātoye śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā yathāvidhi

Translation

Nachdem man die fünf Varāhas erblickt hat und standhaft in dieser großen heiligen Observanz verblieben ist, sollte man in den Wassern der Narmadā baden und dann das Śrāddha gemäß der Regel durchführen.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• वराहान्: boars (Varāhas)
• वराहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• पौरुषे: in Pauruṣa (place/region)
• पौरुषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महति: great, large
• महति: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पौरुषे इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थितः: standing/being situated
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → स्थित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• आप्लवन्: bathed/immersed
• आप्लवन्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√प्लु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नर्मदा: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• तोये: in the water
• तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (नर्मदा-तोये)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Prayojaka (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण ('according as')

• विधि: the prescribed rule
• विधि: Prayojaka (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमासः (यथा-विधि = as per rule) — अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-Varāha-darśana with Revā-snānā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims before five Varāha icons/shrines; after darśana they descend steps to the Narmadā, perform snāna, then a śrāddha setup with darbha, piṇḍa, and offerings on the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Pañca-Varāha
• Narmadā
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by disciplined observance: darśana, sacred bathing, and dharmic rites for ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha region associated with the Pañca-Varāha manifestations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of Pañca-Varāha, immersion (snāna) in Narmadā waters, and performance of śrāddha as per vidhi.