Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

त्रिपुरं ब्रह्मणा सृष्टं भ्रमत्तत्कामगामि च । तस्यैव तु बलोत्कृष्टास्त्रिपुरे दानवाः स्थिताः

Transliteration

tripuraṃ brahmaṇā sṛṣṭaṃ bhramattatkāmagāmi ca | tasyaiva tu balotkṛṣṭāstripure dānavāḥ sthitāḥ

Translation

Tripura wurde von Brahmā erschaffen—umherziehend und nach Wunsch sich bewegend. Dort, in Tripura, wohnten Dānavas von außergewöhnlicher Stärke, die zu ihm gehörten.

Word by Word

• त्रिपुरम्: Tripura
• त्रिपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• सृष्टम्: created
• सृष्टम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु) → सृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भ्रमत्: moving / revolving
• भ्रमत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) → भ्रमत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कामगामि: moving at will
• कामगामि: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + गामिन् (कृदन्त; गम् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तस्य: of it / of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक अव्यय (adversative particle)

• बलोत्कृष्टाः: excellent in strength / very strong
• बलोत्कृष्टाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्कृष्ट (कृदन्त; उत् + कृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• त्रिपुरे: in Tripura
• त्रिपुरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानवाः: demons
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्थिताः: were stationed / remained
• स्थिताः: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Devas (speaking to Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tripura, a vast engineered city, drifts across the heavens; within its walls stand ranks of mighty Dānavas—armored, confident, and numerous—suggesting a mobile empire.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tripura
• Dānavas
• Bāṇa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma gathers strength through organization and shelter; dharma must respond not only to individuals but to fortified systems of harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is praised directly; the passage builds the Tripura crisis within the Revā Khaṇḍa storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive of Tripura’s nature and inhabitants.