Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वाराहं यन्मया दृष्टं वैष्णवं चाष्टमं परम् । न्यग्रोधाख्यमतः चासीदाकाङ्क्षं पुनरुत्तमम्

Transliteration

vārāhaṃ yanmayā dṛṣṭaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ cāṣṭamaṃ param | nyagrodhākhyamataḥ cāsīdākāṅkṣaṃ punaruttamam

Translation

Auch erblickte ich das Vārāha und das erhabene Vaiṣṇava als das achte. Es gab ferner das sogenannte Nyagrodha; und wiederum das vortreffliche Ākāṅkṣa.

Word by Word

• वाराहम्: (the) Vārāha (name)
• वाराहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्: which/that (which)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वैष्णवम्: (the) Vaiṣṇava (name)
• वैष्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अष्टमम्: eighth
• अष्टमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (क्रमवाचक)

• परम्: supreme/excellent
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• न्यग्रोधाख्यम्: named Nyagrodha
• न्यग्रोधाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यग्रोध + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नामधेयवाचक-विशेषण (called ‘Nyagrodha’)

• अतः: therefore/then
• अतः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात् (therefore/from this)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आकाङ्क्षम्: (the) Ākāṅkṣa (name/‘desire’)
• आकाङ्क्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाङ्क्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थ (again)

• उत्तमम्: best/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer addressed respectfully (tāta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator gestures as if counting on fingers, naming Varāha and Vaiṣṇava recensions; behind them, a symbolic Varāha emblem and a Viṣṇu śaṅkha-cakra motif appear as subtle iconographic cues, while the riverbank hermitage remains the setting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is preserved through many streams—diverse recensions sustain the same sacred aim of dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa framework of Narmadā-centered teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.