Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणी वाक्यं भीतभीतावदन्नृप । तद्वस्त्रं तु मया विप्र स्नात्वा ह्यन्तः कृतं महत्

Transliteration

tacchrutvā brāhmaṇī vākyaṃ bhītabhītāvadannṛpa | tadvastraṃ tu mayā vipra snātvā hyantaḥ kṛtaṃ mahat

Translation

Als sie diese Worte hörte, sprach die Brāhmaṇī, vor Furcht zitternd: „O König; o ehrwürdiger Brāhmaṇa: Jenes Gewand wurde von mir berührt; nach dem Bad legte ich es nach innen (in meine Gemächer) und beging damit eine schwere Unziemlichkeit.“

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (object of 'having heard')

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): 'having heard'

• brāhmaṇī: the brahmin woman
• brāhmaṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vākyam: speech/statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhītabhītā: very frightened
• bhītabhītā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīta + bhītā (√bhī) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व/पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग): 'frightened and frightened' = 'very frightened'

• avadat: said
• avadat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (वद्) (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative: 'that')

• vastram: cloth/garment
• vastram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: None (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• vipra: O brahmin
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (स्ना) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having bathed'

• hi: indeed
• hi: None (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/for)

• antaḥ: inside
• antaḥ: Adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: antaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (inside/within)

• kṛtam: put/kept
• kṛtam: Kriya (Predicate participle/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'done/put'

• mahat: large/great
• mahat: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (great/large)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇī (the woman)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha ambit

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇī, trembling, admits she bathed and then placed the sage’s garment inside her inner quarters, calling it a grave impropriety; the sage listens, tension rising.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected by truthful confession and careful conduct; even fear should lead one to honesty and rectification rather than concealment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Revā-khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred region), though this verse itself focuses on a moral incident rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) is explicitly mentioned, highlighting the theme of śauca (purity) before handling sensitive matters.