Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तेन संमूर्छिताः सर्वे संसर्गाच्च खगोत्तमाः । मधुमाधवगन्धेन सकिन्नरमहोरगाः

Transliteration

tena saṃmūrchitāḥ sarve saṃsargācca khagottamāḥ | madhumādhavagandhena sakinnaramahoragāḥ

Translation

Par cet enchantement, tous furent frappés d’évanouissement ; et par ce contact, même les plus nobles oiseaux—avec les Kinnaras et les grands serpents—furent enivrés par le parfum de Madhu et de Mādhava, senteur miellée du printemps.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that (by it)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संमूर्छिताः: stupefied, fainted
• संमूर्छिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+मूर्छ् (धातु) → संमूर्छित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• संसर्गात्: from contact/association
• संसर्गात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (अपादान) विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• खग-उत्तमाः: the best of birds
• खग-उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (श्रेष्ठाः खगाः)

• मधु-माधव-गन्धेन: by the fragrance of honey and spring (Mādhava)
• मधु-माधव-गन्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + माधव (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/समाहार-तत्पुरुष (मधुमाधवयोः गन्धः)

• स-किन्नर-महोरगाः: together with Kinnaras and great serpents
• स-किन्नर-महोरगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थे ‘सहित’) + किन्नर (प्रातिपदिक) + महोरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘स-’ उपपदपूर्वक तत्पुरुष (किन्नरैः महोरगैश्च सहिताः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator), by context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra-vana

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A spring-thick forest on the Revā’s bank; honeyed breeze (madhu-mādhava-gandha) rolls through flowering trees; birds, kinnaras, and nāgas appear dazed, eyes half-closed, bodies slack, as if spellbound by scent.

Characters & Entities

• Kinnaras
• Mahoragas (great serpents)
• Khagottamas (birds)
• Madhu
• Mādhava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When desire is stirred, even exalted beings can be deluded—highlighting the need for vigilance and inner discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the sacred environment around Gaṅgā-sāgara, where the divine drama unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the pervasive power of sensory attraction.