Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

वाराहं रूपमास्थाय उद्धृता धरणी विभो । पुण्यात्पुण्यतमा तेन ह्यशेषाघौघनाशिनी

Transliteration

vārāhaṃ rūpamāsthāya uddhṛtā dharaṇī vibho | puṇyātpuṇyatamā tena hyaśeṣāghaughanāśinī

Translation

Ô Seigneur tout-puissant, ayant pris la forme de Varāha, tu as relevé la Terre. C’est pourquoi ce (tīrtha/ce mérite) est le plus sanctifiant des sanctifiants, car il détruit sans reste tout déluge de péché.

Word by Word

• वाराहम्: boar (as Varāha)
• वाराहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; रूपम् इति विशेषणम्

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय; gerund (having assumed/taken)

• उद्धृता: lifted up
• उद्धृता: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle; धरणी इति विशेषणम्

• धरणी: the Earth
• धरणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पुण्यात्: from merit; than merit
• पुण्यात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• पुण्यतमा: most meritorious
• पुण्यतमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (तमतम-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Singular; अतिशय-तुलनात्मक (superlative); (धरणी/सा) इति विशेषणम्

• तेन: by that; therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/हेतु-निपात; particle (indeed/for)

• अशेषाघौघनाशिनी: destroyer of the flood of all sins
• अशेषाघौघनाशिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष + अघ + ओघ + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Singular; (सा/धरणी/तीर्थशक्ति) इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-Varāha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu as Varāha rises from cosmic waters holding Bhū-devī aloft; below, the Pañca-Varāha tīrtha glows as a sin-destroying sanctuary, with devotees witnessing the cosmic memory made present.

Characters & Entities

• Varāha
• Bhūmi (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The avatāra myth grounds the tīrtha’s greatness: divine rescue of the world becomes a model for the devotee’s purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Pañca-Varāha sacred complex within the Revā (Narmadā) region, whose holiness is tied to the Varāha avatāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse explains the theological basis for the site’s exceptional sin-destroying merit.