Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

जले चैवा मृतानां तु योधनीपुरमध्यतः । वसन्ति वारुणे लोके यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम्

Transliteration

jale caivā mṛtānāṃ tu yodhanīpuramadhyataḥ | vasanti vāruṇe loke yāvadābhūtasamplavam

Translation

Et ceux qui meurent dans l’eau demeurent dans le monde de Varuṇa, au cœur de Yodhanīpura, jusqu’à la grande dissolution cosmique.

Word by Word

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

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

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• मृतानाम्: of the dead
• मृतानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of the dead)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• योधनीपुरमध्यतः: from the midst of Yodhanīpura
• योधनीपुरमध्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: योधनी-पुर-मध्य (प्रातिपदिक; योधनी + पुर + मध्य)
• Form: अव्यय; पञ्चमी-अर्थे तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'from the middle of ...'

• वसन्ति: they dwell, reside
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present indicative 3rd person plural

• वारुणे: in Varuṇa’s (watery)
• वारुणे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; adjective qualifying लोके

• लोके: world, realm
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal limit/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तबोधक (until/as long as)

• आभूतसम्प्लवम्: the great dissolution up to the elements (cosmic deluge)
• आभूतसम्प्लवम्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal limit/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-भूत-सम्प्लव (प्रातिपदिक; आभूत + सम्प्लव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/अवधि), एकवचन; Accusative singular used as limit with यावत्

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-jala (sacred waters of Revā/Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred river scene transitions into Varuṇa’s aquatic palace-world: a luminous underwater city with Varuṇa enthroned, nāgas and makaras, and a central ‘Yodhanīpura’ precinct where souls dwell.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa
• Vāruṇa-loka
• Yodhanīpura
• pralaya (ābhūtasamplava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching links specific deaths with corresponding elemental deities and realms, underscoring a structured moral-cosmic universe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in the Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-mahātmya discourse; the broader setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it states the post-death residence (vāruṇa-loka) as a result (phala).