Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

दंष्ट्राकरालं पिङ्गाक्षं समाकुञ्चितमूर्धजम् । कृत्वाऽनन्तं पादपीठं दंष्ट्राग्रेणोद्धरन्भुवम्

Transliteration

daṃṣṭrākarālaṃ piṅgākṣaṃ samākuñcitamūrdhajam | kṛtvā'nantaṃ pādapīṭhaṃ daṃṣṭrāgreṇoddharanbhuvam

Translation

Terrible par ses défenses, aux yeux fauves, la toison hérissée et bouclée ; faisant d’Ananta son marchepied, il souleva la Terre à la pointe de sa défense.

Word by Word

• daṃṣṭrākarālam: with terrible tusks
• daṃṣṭrākarālam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṃṣṭrā + karāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (रूपम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• piṅgākṣam: with tawny eyes
• piṅgākṣam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: piṅga + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (रूपम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• samākuñcitamūrdhajam: having curled hair
• samākuñcitamūrdhajam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + ā + kuñcita + mūrdhaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (रूपम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘समाकुञ्चित’ = well-curled

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• anantam: Ananta (Śeṣa)
• anantam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pādapīṭham: a footstool
• pādapīṭham: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda + pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अनन्तम्’ इत्यस्य कर्म-समापेक्षम् (made Ananta as a footstool)

• daṃṣṭrāgreṇa: with the tip of (his) tusk
• daṃṣṭrāgreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃṣṭrā + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• uddharan: lifting up
• uddharan: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud + hṛ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (विभुः) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• bhuvam: the Earth
• bhuvam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi/bhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Purāṇa (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Colossal Varāha with fearsome tusks and tawny eyes, hair bristling; Ananta (Śeṣa) forms a footstool; the Earth is lifted on the tip of the tusk from cosmic waters.

Characters & Entities

• Varāha (Viṣṇu)
• Bhūmi (Earth)
• Ananta (Śeṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when the world seems submerged, the Divine can raise it effortlessly; cosmic support (Ananta) and avatāra action work together for restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa’s lead-in to Narmadā-taṭa tīrthas associated with Varāha’s manifestations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it provides the mythic foundation that later legitimizes pilgrimage, darśana, and worship at Varāha-related sites.