Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सोद्वेगं भाषितं श्रुत्वा देवानां भावितात्मनाम् । मेघगम्भीरया वाचा देवराजमुवाच ह

Transliteration

sodvegaṃ bhāṣitaṃ śrutvā devānāṃ bhāvitātmanām | meghagambhīrayā vācā devarājamuvāca ha

Translation

Als er die aufgewühlten Worte der Götter vernahm, edelmütig und in sich gesammelt, sprach Brahmā zum König der Götter mit einer Stimme, tief wie donnernde Wolken.

Word by Word

• स-उद्वेगम्: with agitation; agitated
• स-उद्वेगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्वेग (प्रातिपदिक) + स (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थक-पूर्वपद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमासः (सहित-भावः)

• भाषितम्: speech; what was spoken
• भाषितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाष् (धातु) → भाषित (कृदन्त/कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• भावित-आत्मनाम्: of the self-controlled (gods)
• भावित-आत्मनाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित (कृदन्त) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भावितः आत्मा येषाम्)

• मेघ-गम्भीरया: with cloud-deep
• मेघ-गम्भीरया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ (प्रातिपदिक) + गम्भीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मेघवत् गम्भीरा)

• वाचा: by (his) voice
• वाचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्/वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देव-राजम्: the king of the gods (Indra)
• देव-राजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां राजा)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed; (quotative emphasis)
• ह: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; Brahmā is the one who speaks next)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: राजेन्द्र (king addressed in the narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods, pale and shaken, stand before Brahmā; Brahmā speaks with a cloud-deep, thunder-like voice in a luminous celestial hall.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Indra (Devarāja)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In turmoil, guidance is sought from steadier wisdom; divine counsel is portrayed as calm, weighty, and purposeful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the setting is Brahmaloka and a divine council.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative and sets up Brahmā’s inquiry.