Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

उदधिक्रमणश्रेष्ठो दशग्रीवस्य दर्पहा । लक्ष्मणप्राणदाता च सीताशोकनिवर्तनः

Transliteration

udadhikramaṇaśreṣṭho daśagrīvasya darpahā | lakṣmaṇaprāṇadātā ca sītāśokanivartanaḥ

Translation

„Der Vorzüglichste im Überqueren des Ozeans; der Zerschmetterer des Hochmuts Daśagrīvas (Rāvaṇa); der Lebensspender für Lakṣmaṇa; und der Vertreiber von Sītās Kummer.“

Word by Word

• उदधि: ocean
• उदधि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासाङ्ग, एकवचन (प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण)

• क्रमण: crossing/striding
• क्रमण: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रमण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासाङ्ग, एकवचन (प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण)

• श्रेष्ठः: best in ocean-crossing
• श्रेष्ठः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उदधिक्रमणस्य श्रेष्ठः)

• दशग्रीवस्य: of Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)
• दशग्रीवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (दश ग्रीवाः यस्य) = रावणः

• दर्पहा: destroyer of pride
• दर्पहा: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु; कृदन्त ‘ह’/‘हा’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (दर्पं हन्ति इति)

• लक्ष्मण: Lakṣmaṇa
• लक्ष्मण: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासाङ्ग, एकवचन (प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण)

• प्राण: life-breath
• प्राण: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासाङ्ग, बहुवचन/समाहारार्थ (life-breaths; as compound member)

• दाता: giver (restorer) of life
• दाता: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) + तृ (कृत् प्रत्यय; कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक ‘दातृ/दाता’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (प्राणान् ददाति इति)

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

• सीता: Sītā
• सीता: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासाङ्ग, एकवचन (प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण)

• शोक: sorrow
• शोक: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासाङ्ग, एकवचन (प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण)

• निवर्तनः: remover (one who causes cessation)
• निवर्तनः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-वृत् (धातु) + ल्युट्/घञ् (कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक ‘निवर्तन’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (शोकं निवर्तयति इति)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing epithets)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Hanūmān (and the mahātmyā audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like praise: Hanūmān leaping the ocean, crushing Rāvaṇa’s pride, bringing the life-saving herb for Lakṣmaṇa, and consoling Sītā in Aśoka-vana.

Characters & Entities

• Hanūmān
• Rāvaṇa (Daśagrīva)
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Sītā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Courage in service to dharma—Hanūmān’s heroic deeds are presented as sacred virtues worthy of remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sits within Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā tīrtha milieu, where such sacred narratives are used to magnify merit and devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the implied practice is devotional remembrance through reciting these titles and deeds.