Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

घृतातपत्रा सुश्रोणी पद्मरागविभूषिता । जगाद मा भैरिति तानेकैकं तु पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

ghṛtātapatrā suśroṇī padmarāgavibhūṣitā | jagāda mā bhairiti tānekaikaṃ tu pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

Tenant un splendide parasol, gracieuse de forme et ornée de rubis, elle dit à chacun, séparément : «N’ayez pas peur».

Word by Word

• ghṛtātapatrā: (she) with a golden parasol
• ghṛtātapatrā: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + ātapatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘ghṛtasya ātapatram’/‘ghṛtena kṛtam ātapatram’ (golden parasol) — ‘having a golden parasol’ (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः)

• suśroṇī: well-hipped
• suśroṇī: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + śroṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘sundarī śroṇī yasyaḥ’ (well-hipped)

• padmarāga: with ruby
• padmarāga: Karaṇa/Instrumental
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक) + rāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद); तत्पुरुष: ‘padmasya rāgaḥ’ = ‘ruby (padmarāga)’

• vibhūṣitā: adorned
• vibhūṣitā: Karta (Subject predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√bhūṣ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृतान्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘adorned’

• jagāda: she said
• jagāda: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gad (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘said/spoke’

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय निषेध (prohibitive particle)

• bhaiḥ: fear
• bhaiḥ: Kriyā (Imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhī (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘fear!’ (here with mā = ‘do not fear’)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• tān: them
• tān: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ekaikam: each one
• ekaikam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (distributive adverbial accusative): ‘one by one/each individually’

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/conjunction): contrast/emphasis

• pṛthak: separately
• pṛthak: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘separately’

• pṛthak: each separately
• pṛthak: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Devī, radiant, holds a splendid parasol; rubies gleam on her ornaments. She turns gently toward each sage, speaking softly yet powerfully: ‘Do not fear.’

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Revā/Narmadā in context)
• Sages (implied recipients)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence grants abhaya—fearlessness—assuring devotees personally and directly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā’s sacred realm, where the Goddess manifests and blesses sages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is given; the focus is on darśana and the Goddess’s reassurance (abhaya-vacana).