Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

दृष्टा भीतौ परामार्तिगतौ तत्र महापथि । नरको रौरवस्तत्र महारौरव एव च

Transliteration

dṛṣṭā bhītau parāmārtigatau tatra mahāpathi | narako rauravastatra mahāraurava eva ca

Translation

Sur cette grande voie (de l’au-delà), on les vit, saisis de peur et accablés d’angoisse. Là apparut l’enfer nommé Raurava, ainsi que Mahāraurava.

Word by Word

• dṛṣṭā: seen
• dṛṣṭā: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु √दृश्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (she/it) seen / having been seen

• bhītau: (two) frightened
• bhītau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīta (प्रातिपदिक; √भी + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण (two frightened)

• parama-ārti-gatau: having fallen into extreme anguish
• parama-ārti-gatau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ārti (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (having reached extreme distress)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• mahāpathi: on the great road
• mahāpathi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahāpatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• narakaḥ: hell (a hell)
• narakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• rauravaḥ: Raurava (a hell)
• rauravaḥ: Apposition (Viśeṣya/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नरकविशेषः

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• mahā-rauravaḥ: Mahāraurava (a hell)
• mahā-rauravaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + raurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (great Raurava)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (just/indeed)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark ‘great road’ with guardians and winds of fear; two travelers appear terrified; ahead open the infernal realms labeled Raurava and Mahāraurava—fiery pits and roaring lamentations.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāpatha (great path)
• Raurava
• Mahāraurava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa teaches through stark vision: fear and anguish on the post-mortem path are the natural outcome of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

By contrast, the Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas are implied as refuges from such post-mortem terrors.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues the descriptive enumeration of afterlife regions.