Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तयाहं तु इन्द्रायुधनिभं शुभम् । लाङ्गूलमव्ययं ज्ञात्वा भुजाभ्यामवलम्बितः

Transliteration

evamuktastayāhaṃ tu indrāyudhanibhaṃ śubham | lāṅgūlamavyayaṃ jñātvā bhujābhyāmavalambitaḥ

Translation

So von ihr angesprochen, erkannte ich jenen glückverheißenden Schweif—Indras Donnerkeil gleich und unvergänglich—und klammerte mich mit beiden Armen daran.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• उक्तः: (I) having been told
• उक्तः: Kriyā (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + क्त → उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘having been told/addressed’

• तया: by her
• तया: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (logical subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• इन्द्रायुध-निभम्: resembling Indra’s bow (rainbow-like)
• इन्द्रायुध-निभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (of लाङ्गूलम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्र-आयुध-निभ (प्रातिपदिक; components: इन्द्र + आयुध + निभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘इन्द्रस्य आयुधं (इन्द्रधनुः) तद्वत् निभम्’ (उपमान-तत्पुरुष)

• शुभम्: auspicious, splendid
• शुभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (of लाङ्गूलम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• लाङ्गूलम्: tail
• लाङ्गूलम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाङ्गूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अव्ययम्: imperishable, undecaying
• अव्ययम्: Viśeṣaṇa (of लाङ्गूलम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-व्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष ‘व्ययः न’

• ज्ञात्वा: having known/realized
• ज्ञात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• भुजाभ्याम्: with (his) two arms
• भुजाभ्याम्: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), द्विवचन

• अवलम्बितः: was supported / held on
• अवलम्बितः: Kriyā (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + √लम्ब् (धातु) + क्त → अवलम्बित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘supported/held on’

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: the endangered brāhmaṇa/narrator describing his rescue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (rescue-spot)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In churning water, the rescued person recognizes the cow’s radiant, weapon-like tail and clings with both arms; the tail shines like a thunderbolt, symbolizing unbreakable support.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (by reference to indrāyudha)
• Gauḥ (cow, implied by tail)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In संकट (peril), taking refuge in a divinely provided support becomes the means of deliverance; grace is ‘unfailing’ (avyaya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā milieu of Revā-khaṇḍa frames the episode, presenting the river-region as a theatre of divine rescue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual appears; it narrates an act of refuge (śaraṇāgati) rather than a formal rite.