Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

गृहीत्वा शक्रभार्यां स प्रस्थितः स्वपुरं प्रति । ततः प्रववृते युद्धमन्धकस्य सुरैः सह

Transliteration

gṛhītvā śakrabhāryāṃ sa prasthitaḥ svapuraṃ prati | tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhamandhakasya suraiḥ saha

Translation

Having seized Śakra’s wife, he set out toward his own city. Thereupon the battle of Andhaka with the gods broke out.

Word by Word

• gṛhītvā: having seized/taken
• gṛhītvā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund)

• śakra-bhāryām: Śakra's wife
• śakra-bhāryām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (शक्र प्रातिपदिक) + bhāryā (भार्या प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम

• prasthitaḥ: departed/set out
• prasthitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• sva-puram: his own city
• sva-puram: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (स्व प्रातिपदिक) + pura (पुर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• prati: towards
• prati: Sambandha (Direction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (प्रति अव्यय)
• Form: दिशाबोधक-अव्यय (towards)

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (ततः अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon; from that)

• pravavṛte: arose/began
• pravavṛte: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vṛt (वृत् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); आत्मनेपद

• yuddham: battle
• yuddham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (युद्ध प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• andhakasya: of Andhaka
• andhakasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (अन्धक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (singular)

• suraiḥ: with the gods
• suraiḥ: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (सुर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन (plural)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (सह अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (with; associative particle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic abduction: Śacī seized and carried away; devas rally; the horizon fills with weapons and banners as Andhaka’s war with the gods begins.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Śacī
• Andhaka
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma (forcible taking what is not one’s own) precipitates conflict and collective suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it advances the mythic history within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—this verse narrates the cause and onset of war.