Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सर्पा यन्त्रस्थिता घोराः शम्ये वरुणनैरृतौ । गायत्री चैव सावित्री स्थिते ते रश्मिबन्धने

Transliteration

sarpā yantrasthitā ghorāḥ śamye varuṇanairṛtau | gāyatrī caiva sāvitrī sthite te raśmibandhane

Translation

De farouches serpents furent placés dans le mécanisme; Varuṇa et Nairṛta furent postés sur la traverse. Et Gāyatrī et Sāvitrī se tinrent là comme le lien des rênes.

Word by Word

• सर्पाः: serpents
• सर्पाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• यन्त्रस्थिताः: placed in the mechanism
• यन्त्रस्थिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यन्त्र + स्थित (स्था-धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समास: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (‘in the device’ + ‘placed’); स्थित = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• घोराः: terrible
• घोराः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शम्ये: in the śamī (wood/part named śamya)
• शम्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• वरुणनैरृतौ: in (the regions of) Varuṇa and Nairṛta
• वरुणनैरृतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण + नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), द्विवचन; समास: द्वन्द्व (Varuṇa and Nairṛta)

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सावित्री: Sāvitrī
• सावित्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्थिते: (the two) situated/placed
• स्थिते: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (गायत्री-सावित्री इत्ययोः विशेषणम्)

• ते: those two
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (feminine implied by referents)

• रश्मिबन्धने: in the binding of rays
• रश्मिबन्धने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रश्मि + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of rays’ + ‘binding/cord’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the chariot’s mechanism, fierce serpents coil as living power; on the crossbar stand Varuṇa and Nairṛta as stern directional guardians; Gāyatrī and Sāvitrī appear as radiant goddesses holding luminous reins that bind and guide the divine vehicle.

Characters & Entities

• Serpents (Nāgas)
• Varuṇa
• Nairṛta
• Gāyatrī
• Sāvitrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantric power (Gāyatrī/Sāvitrī) is portrayed as what ‘binds’ and governs motion, suggesting that sacred recitation stabilizes life’s forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context sanctifies the Narmadā region; this verse chiefly highlights mantra-deities rather than a particular location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, though the mention of Gāyatrī/Sāvitrī naturally aligns with japa and sandhyā-related disciplines.