Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वसन्नग्निर्नदीतीरे समाश्रित्य महत्तपः । रुद्रमाराधयामास जितात्मा सुसमाहितः

Transliteration

vasannagnirnadītīre samāśritya mahattapaḥ | rudramārādhayāmāsa jitātmā susamāhitaḥ

Translation

Demeurant sur la rive du fleuve, Agni entreprit une grande ascèse (tapas), rendant un culte à Rudra, l’esprit dompté et parfaitement recueilli en méditation.

Word by Word

• वसन्: dwelling, residing
• वसन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस् (धातु) → वसत्/वसन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘dwelling’

• अग्निः: Agni
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• नदीतीरे: on the riverbank
• नदीतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of the river’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Locative singular

• समाश्रित्य: having resorted to
• समाश्रित्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु) → समाश्रित्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), अव्यय — ‘having resorted to’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण (तपः)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• रुद्रम्: Rudra
• रुद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आराधयामास: worshipped, propitiated
• आराधयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic perfect/परस्मैपदी-लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 3rd sg

• जितात्मा: self-controlled
• जितात्मा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (‘whose self is conquered’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण (अग्निः)

• सुसमाहितः: well-composed, deeply concentrated
• सुसमाहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + समाहित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; समाहित = सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) riverbank tapas-sthāna (generic)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (mahārāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, personified as a flame-haloed ascetic, sits in meditation on a sandy riverbank under sparse trees; the Revā flows quietly; a subtle Rudra presence (liṅga or luminous form) receives worship.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Rudra
• Riverbank (Revā/Narmadā context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine beings seek higher grace through tapas; inner mastery and focused worship lead to divine response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The riverbank setting points to the Revā/Narmadā tīrtha-world celebrated throughout the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas and Rudra-ārādhana (propitiation of Śiva) are presented as the spiritual discipline.