Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पृच्छयतां यदि मन्येत राजानं भस्मसात्कुरु । तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वाक्यं नारायणोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

pṛcchayatāṃ yadi manyeta rājānaṃ bhasmasātkuru | teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā vākyaṃ nārāyaṇo'bravīt

Translation

Comme ils l’interrogeaient, ils pressèrent : «Si tu le juges bon, réduis le roi en cendres». Ayant entendu leurs paroles, Nārāyaṇa répondit.

Word by Word

• पृच्छयताम्: of the questioners
• पृच्छयताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृच्छयत् (शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘तेषाम्’ इत्यर्थे (of those who are asking)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional: if)

• मन्येत: he should think/consider
• मन्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भस्मसात्: to ashes
• भस्मसात्: Gati/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सात् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial): ‘to ashes/into ashes’

• कुरु: make (him)
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• तत्-वचनम्: that/their statement
• तत्-वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तेषां वचनम् = their statement)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having heard’

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator → Nārāyaṇa (transition into Nārāyaṇa’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, agitated, propose incinerating the king; Nārāyaṇa stands composed, raising a hand to speak—his reply about to set the dharmic course.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• King (unnamed)
• Ṛṣis/Dvijas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even righteous anger must be guided by discernment; punishment should serve dharma, not mere vengeance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revākhaṇḍa (Revā/Narmadā region) forms the narrative backdrop; no single tīrtha is singled out in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a moral-legal response (bhasmasāt) rather than a ritual.