Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एतदाचक्ष्व भगवन्का सा ह्यमृतसंभवा । चरत्येकार्णवे घोरे प्रनष्टोरगराक्षसे

Transliteration

etadācakṣva bhagavankā sā hyamṛtasaṃbhavā | caratyekārṇave ghore pranaṣṭoragarākṣase

Translation

Künde mir dies, o Erhabener: Wer ist sie, aus Amṛta entsprossen, die im schrecklichen einen Ozean wandelt, wo Schlangen und Rākṣasas zugrunde gingen?

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• आचक्ष्व: tell; explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवन्: O Lord; O venerable one
• भगवन्: Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• का: who? which (woman)?
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/हेतौ निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')

• अमृतसंभवा: born from nectar; nectar-origin
• अमृतसंभवा: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अमृतस्य सम्भवा)

• चरति: moves; roams
• चरति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकार्णवे: in the single ocean
• एकार्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (एकः अर्णवः)

• घोरे: terrible, dreadful
• घोरे: Qualifier of location (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (एकार्णवे)

• प्रनष्ट: destroyed; perished
• प्रनष्ट: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु) → प्रनष्ट (कृदन्त, भूतकृत्/क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• उरगराक्षसे: in/among the serpent-demon
• उरगराक्षसे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरग (प्रातिपदिक) + राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (उरगः राक्षसः)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira (addressing Manu as bhagavan)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) / Devī-form in Revākhaṇḍa narrative

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A ‘Bhagavān’ authority figure; answered by Manu in next verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioner, awed and unsettled, asks a venerable sage to identify a radiant woman ‘born of amṛta’ who moves upon a terrifying single ocean where serpents and rākṣasas lie destroyed.

Characters & Entities

• Manu
• Amṛta
• Uraga (serpents)
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid cosmic dissolution and terror, the Purāṇas portray an immortal sacred power that guides creation and sanctifies the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā māhātmya is being prepared through mythic origin; the verse itself remains in cosmic setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a direct question requesting revelation (ācakṣva).