Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

द्वाभ्यां संगृह्य जानुभ्यां महत्पोतं व्यवस्थिता । तां मनुः प्रत्युवाचेदं का त्वं दिव्यवराङ्गने

Transliteration

dvābhyāṃ saṃgṛhya jānubhyāṃ mahatpotaṃ vyavasthitā | tāṃ manuḥ pratyuvācedaṃ kā tvaṃ divyavarāṅgane

Translation

Mit beiden Knien hielt sie das große Boot fest umschlungen und blieb standhaft. Da sprach Manu zu ihr: „Wer bist du, o göttliche Frau von erhabener Gestalt?“

Word by Word

• dvābhyām: with two
• dvābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्दः); तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन; अर्थे: द्वाभ्याम् = with two

• saṃgṛhya: having grasped
• saṃgṛhya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-√grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having grasped/holding

• jānubhyām: with (her) knees
• jānubhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jānu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, द्विवचन

• mahat-potam: a great boat
• mahat-potam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + pota (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् पोटः) = a great boat

• vyavasthitā: stood/was stationed
• vyavasthitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ava-√sthā (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थे: स्थितवती/स्थिताऽभवत् = was positioned/standing

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• manuḥ: Manu
• manuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pratyuvāca: replied
• pratyuvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; रूपम्: प्रत्युवाच = replied

• idam: this (thus)
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; वाक्यवस्तु-निर्देशः (this [speech])

• kā: who?
• kā: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: एकवचन; प्रथमा; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun)

• divya-vara-aṅgane: O divine fair-limbed lady
• divya-vara-aṅgane: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दिव्या च सा वराङ्गना च) = O divine beautiful woman

Speaker

Manu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (pralaya-boat episode locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divine maiden (kāmarūpiṇī / river-śakti figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine maiden braces a massive boat, gripping it with both knees, unmoved by the raging current; Manu stands/leans forward, addressing her with reverent astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Manu
• Revā (implied as the divine woman)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrthas reveal themselves through divine protection; reverent inquiry opens the way to sacred knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā), appearing in person as a divine woman safeguarding the boat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a revelatory dialogue (praśna) that frames the māhātmya.