Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

विविशुस्तज्जलं क्षिप्रं समंताद्वरभूषणाः । तस्मिन्पुरवरे चान्ये तामेवाहं पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

viviśustajjalaṃ kṣipraṃ samaṃtādvarabhūṣaṇāḥ | tasminpuravare cānye tāmevāhaṃ punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

Mit erlesenen Schmuckstücken geziert, traten sie rasch von allen Seiten in jenes Wasser ein. Und an jenem vortrefflichen heiligen Ort erblickte ich immer wieder eben dieselbe Jungfrau.

Word by Word

• विविशुः: entered
• विविशुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; जलम् इति विशेषणम्

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative) = quickly

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: Desha (Spatial adjunct/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = on all sides/from all around

• वरभूषणाः: wearing splendid ornaments
• वरभूषणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (वराणि भूषणानि = excellent ornaments); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (कन्याः implied)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• पुरवरे: in the excellent city
• पुरवरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (वरं पुरम् = best city); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = conjunction

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = emphatic particle

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/पुनरावृत्ति) = again

• पुनः: again and again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्ति) = again (reduplicated for emphasis)

Speaker

Narrator (first-person observer)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-jala tīrtha (episode locus)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of ornamented celestial maidens slips swiftly into the sacred water from all sides; the narrator’s gaze fixes repeatedly on one particular maiden, suggesting a destined interlocutor.

Characters & Entities

• tajjala (that sacred water)
• a divine maiden (tāṃ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy waters and holy places are portrayed as thresholds where the divine may be glimpsed repeatedly by the devotee.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred water-body within Revā-kṣetra, entered by the divine maidens.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha association with water (snāna/immersion context), though the verse narrates divine entry rather than giving a direct injunction.