Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

श्रियावृत्तौ महादेव त्वया चोत्पादितौ पुरा । सुरासुरसुदुर्जेयौ दानवौ मधुकैटभौ

Transliteration

śriyāvṛttau mahādeva tvayā cotpāditau purā | surāsurasudurjeyau dānavau madhukaiṭabhau

Translation

O Mahādeva, in connection with Śrī’s activity and the turning of fortune, you formerly brought them forth—those dānavas Madhu and Kaiṭabha, exceedingly difficult to conquer for both gods and asuras.

Word by Word

• श्रिया: by Śrī (Fortune)
• श्रिया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु (by/through)

• आवृत्तौ: at the withdrawal/turning back
• आवृत्तौ: Adhikarana (Locus/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ + वृत् (धातु) → आवृत्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; क्त-कृदन्त ‘आवृत्त’ (turned/returned); सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative: at the turning/withdrawal)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + देव (प्रातिपदिक: महादेव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• उत्पादितौ: were produced/created
• उत्पादितौ: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + पद्/पादय् (धातु, णिच्: उत्पादयति) → उत्पादित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• सुरासुरसुदुर्जेयौ: very hard to defeat even by gods and asuras
• सुरासुरसुदुर्जेयौ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर + असुर + सु + दुर्जेय (प्रातिपदिक: सुरासुरसुदुर्जेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सुरैः असुरैः च सुदुर्जेयौ = very hard to conquer by gods and asuras)

• दानवौ: two demons (Dānavas)
• दानवौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• मधुकैटभौ: Madhu and Kaiṭabha
• मधुकैटभौ: Apposition (Naming)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + कैटभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (मधुश्च कैटभश्च)

Speaker

Narmadā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rudra/Īśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Revā identifies the two dānavas as Madhu and Kaiṭabha, born earlier by Mahādeva’s agency; the scene can foreshadow their later confrontation with Viṣṇu amid cosmic waters.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mahādeva)
• Madhu
• Kaiṭabha
• Śrī
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas frame even hostile forces within divine causality, underscoring that cosmic conflict unfolds under higher order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the verse is mythic-cosmological within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.