Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अपराह्णे महादेवि सुखासीनौ तु सुन्दरि । वदन्तौ सुखदुःखानि पूर्ववृत्तानि यानि च

Transliteration

aparāhṇe mahādevi sukhāsīnau tu sundari | vadantau sukhaduḥkhāni pūrvavṛttāni yāni ca

Translation

Dans l’après-midi, ô grande Déesse, ô belle, le couple gracieux s’assit à l’aise, parlant des joies et des peines, et des événements d’autrefois.

Word by Word

• अपराह्णे: in the afternoon
• अपराह्णे: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराह्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुखासीनौ: the two seated comfortably
• सुखासीनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख + आसीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: आस्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (आसीन); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष (सुखेन आसीनौ)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय-बोधक (particle)

• सुन्दरि: O beautiful one
• सुन्दरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वदन्तौ: speaking (the two)
• वदन्तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: वद्-धातोः शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• सुखदुःखानि: pleasures and pains
• सुखदुःखानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (सुखं च दुःखं च)

• पूर्ववृत्तानि: previous occurrences/events
• पूर्ववृत्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वृत्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (वृत्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (पूर्वाणि वृत्तानि)

• यानि: which
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) context

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Atri and Anasūyā sit comfortably in the afternoon shade, speaking quietly about joys, sorrows, and memories; a tranquil hermitage ambiance surrounds them.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Pārvatī
• Atri
• Anasūyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas situate dharma in lived human experience—reflection on past joys and sorrows prepares the mind for spiritual insight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a narrative transition; the tīrtha context remains the Revā-region discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it sets the scene for the forthcoming dialogue.