Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

ततो देवाधिदेवोऽसौ वारुणास्त्रमयोऽजयत् । वारुणास्त्रेण निमिषादाग्नेयं नाशितं तदा

Transliteration

tato devādhidevo'sau vāruṇāstramayo'jayat | vāruṇāstreṇa nimiṣādāgneyaṃ nāśitaṃ tadā

Translation

Darauf siegte jener Herr der Götter, indem er die Waffe Varuṇas offenbarte. In einem Augenblick wurde durch die Varuṇa-Waffe die Feuerwaffe vernichtet.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• devādhidevaḥ: the god over (all) gods
• devādhidevaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + adhideva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् अधिदेवः)

• asau: that (one), he
• asau: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vāruṇāstramayaḥ: consisting of the Varuṇa-weapon
• vāruṇāstramayaḥ: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāruṇa + astra + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘वारुणास्त्रेण/वारुणास्त्रस्य मयः’ = made of Varuṇa-weapon; विशेषणम् (devādhidevaḥ)

• ajayat: conquered/overcame
• ajayat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (जि धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः आ-

• vāruṇāstreṇa: with the Varuṇa-weapon
• vāruṇāstreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāruṇa + astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘वारुणं च तत् अस्त्रं’

• nimiṣāt: in an instant
• nimiṣāt: Apadana (Ablative of time-span/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nimiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अवधी/क्षणार्थे ‘in a moment’

• āgneyam: the Agni-weapon (fiery missile)
• āgneyam: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āgneya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (आग्नेयम् अस्त्रम्) संक्षेपेण

• nāśitam: was destroyed
• nāśitam: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: naś (नश् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्यय (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ‘destroyed’

• tadā: then/at that time
• tadā: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at that time)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa recounting the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha sphere

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva manifests the Varuṇa-astra—waves and watery torrents—instantly extinguishing the blazing Agneya-astra midair.

Characters & Entities

• Devādhideva
• Varuṇa
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic forces are governed by dharma: destructive power is restrained by a higher, balancing power when invoked by the rightful divine authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider context is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region celebrated in the Revā Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on the battle episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the countering of astras (divine weapons).