Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

वेदांस्तत्रापि तोयस्थानानिनाय जगद्गुरुः । चतुर्वक्त्राय देवायाददाच्चक्रविभूषितः

Transliteration

vedāṃstatrāpi toyasthānānināya jagadguruḥ | caturvaktrāya devāyādadāccakravibhūṣitaḥ

Translation

Darauf brachte der Weltenlehrer die Veden selbst aus jenen wässrigen Wohnstätten herbei und übergab sie, mit dem Diskus geschmückt, dem viergesichtigen Gott Brahmā.

Word by Word

• vedān: the Vedas
• vedān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

• toya-sthānāni: water-places; bathing spots
• toya-sthānāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक) + sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (toyasya sthānāni / toye sthānāni)

• nināya: led; brought
• nināya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• jagad-guruḥ: the teacher of the world
• jagad-guruḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jagataḥ guruḥ)

• catur-vaktrāya: to the four-faced (Brahmā)
• catur-vaktrāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘यस्य चत्वारि वक्त्राणि सः’

• devāya: to the god
• devāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• adadāt: gave
• adadāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• cakra-vibhūṣitaḥ: adorned with a discus
• cakra-vibhūṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + vibhūṣita (कृदन्त, भूष्-धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘चक्रेण विभूषितः’ (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थ)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Purāṇic narrative style within Āvantya-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra (general Revā-khaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, radiant and discus-adorned, emerges from a luminous watery realm holding the Vedas (as palm-leaf bundles or glowing śabda-forms) and hands them to four-faced Brahmā seated on a lotus.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Brahmā (Caturvaktra)
• Cakra (discus)
• Jagadguru (the Lord/Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace preserves revelation and ensures its rightful transmission for the world’s welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-khaṇḍa frame ultimately glorifies Revā (Narmadā), though this verse highlights Vedic restoration rather than a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.