Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तथेति चोक्तो देवेशो भारग्राममुपागतः । ध्यात्वा वनस्पतीः सर्वा इदं वचनमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tatheti cokto deveśo bhāragrāmamupāgataḥ | dhyātvā vanaspatīḥ sarvā idaṃ vacanamabravīt

Translation

Ainsi instruit, le Seigneur des dieux se rendit au lieu nommé Bhāragrāma. Méditant sur tous les arbres de la forêt, il prononça ces paroles.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रत्युत्तर/क्रियाविशेषण) = 'so/thus'

• इति: (saying) 'thus'
• इति: Vacana-prayojaka (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/ conjunction)

• उक्तः: (was) spoken to
• उक्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः

• देवेशः: Lord of the gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः)

• भारग्रामम्: the load-heap/collection of burdens
• भारग्रामम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भारस्य ग्रामः/समूहः)

• उपागतः: arrived/approached
• उपागतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + गम् (धातु) → उपागत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे 'having approached/arrived'

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) → ध्यात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) = 'having meditated'

• वनस्पतीः: trees
• वनस्पतीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with implied 'वनस्पतीः' as feminine by sense; alternatively read as सर्वान् with masculine)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāragrāma

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The disguised Lord travels to Bhāragrāma; he pauses in a grove, eyes half-closed in meditation, surrounded by diverse trees subtly leaning inward as if listening.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Bhāragrāma
• Vanaspatī (trees)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places and even forests participate in dharma; contemplation precedes right action and right speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhāragrāma is introduced as a significant locale within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it depicts dhyāna (contemplation) as a preparatory spiritual practice.