Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यमेन्द्रवरुणानां च चतुर्थस्त्वं भविष्यसि । ब्रह्माप्युक्त्वा जगामाशु लोकपालत्वमीप्सितम्

Transliteration

yamendravaruṇānāṃ ca caturthastvaṃ bhaviṣyasi | brahmāpyuktvā jagāmāśu lokapālatvamīpsitam

Translation

«Parmi Yama, Indra et Varuṇa, tu seras le quatrième.» Ayant ainsi parlé, Brahmā s’en alla promptement, aspirant à la dignité souhaitée de Lokapāla, gardien du monde.

Word by Word

• यम: of Yama
• यम: Sambandha (Genitive in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग; यमस्य)

• इन्द्र: of Indra
• इन्द्र: Sambandha (Genitive in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग; इन्द्रस्य)

• वरुणानाम्: of Varuṇa (and his class)
• वरुणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• चतुर्थः: the fourth
• चतुर्थः: Predicative complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण/पदनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• अपि: also/indeed
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/indeed)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having said’

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: quickly)

• लोकपालत्वम्: the office of world-guardian
• लोकपालत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकपाल + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (लोकानां पालः) + त्वान्त-भाववाचक

• ईप्सितम्: desired
• ईप्सितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईप्सित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (desired/sought)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration within a Māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā Khaṇḍa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā pronounces a decree: ‘You will be the fourth among Yama, Indra, Varuṇa’; the recipient stands reverently; the three lokapālas appear as symbolic presences; Brahmā departs swiftly.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Indra
• Varuṇa
• Brahmā
• Lokapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is upheld through divinely assigned offices; Dharma operates through designated guardians (Lokapālas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider context is the Revā (Narmadā) Māhātmya section, though this verse itself is genealogical/cosmological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.