Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ततो महाघनो भूत्वा प्लावयामास वारिणा । कृष्णं कृष्णवपुस्त्वेनां विद्युच्चन्द्रायुधाङ्किताम्

Transliteration

tato mahāghano bhūtvā plāvayāmāsa vāriṇā | kṛṣṇaṃ kṛṣṇavapustvenāṃ vidyuccandrāyudhāṅkitām

Translation

Dann, zu einer gewaltigen Wolke geworden, überflutete er alles mit Wasser—dunkel, schwarzleibig, gezeichnet von Blitzen und mondgleichen Zeichen als seinen strahlenden Waffen.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्-प्रत्ययान्त देश/क्रमवाचक (indeclinable: “then/from there”)

• महाघनः: a great cloud
• महाघनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + घन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; महा-घन (कर्मधारयः: “great cloud”)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): “having become”

• प्लावयामास: flooded
• प्लावयामास: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लु (धातु) [णिच् causative: प्लावय]
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: “caused to float/flooded”)

• वारिणा: with water
• वारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (instrumental)

• कृष्णम्: dark
• कृष्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (black/dark)

• कृष्णवपुषा: with a dark body/form
• कृष्णवपुषा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कृष्ण-वपुस् (कर्मधारयः: “dark-bodied”); करण (instrumental of manner)

• त्वेन: as / in the state of
• त्वेन: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तद्धितान्त-भाववाचक; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभाव (suffixal form: “-ness/as”)

• एनाम्: her/this (earth)
• एनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (this/her)

• विद्युत्-चन्द्र-आयुध-अङ्किताम्: marked with lightning, moon, and weapons
• विद्युत्-चन्द्र-आयुध-अङ्किताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्युत् + चन्द्र + आयुध + अङ्कित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अङ्कित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) “marked”; पूर्वपद-समासः (तत्पुरुषः): “marked with lightning, moon, and weapons” विशेषणम्

Speaker

Undetermined (narrative voice within Revā Khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After burning the world, the Lord becomes a colossal dark cloud and floods everything; his form is black, emblazoned with lightning and moon-like emblems as radiant weapons.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (implied)
• Megha (cloud)
• Vidyut (lightning)
• Candra (moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The same Divine power that sustains can also dissolve; recognizing this fosters humility and steadiness in Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) milieu contextualizes the narration, but this verse itself focuses on cosmic dissolution rather than naming a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive (varṇana) of pralaya.