Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं विप्रा वैश्वानरमुखोद्गतम् । विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयना राजानमिदमब्रुवन्

Transliteration

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ viprā vaiśvānaramukhodgatam | vismayotphullanayanā rājānamidamabruvan

Translation

Entendant ces paroles sorties de la bouche de Vaiśvānara (Agni), les brāhmaṇas, les yeux écarquillés d’étonnement, dirent ceci au roi.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (object of hearing)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund); 'having heard'

• वचनम्: speech/statement
• वचनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• विप्राः: the Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्ता

• वैश्वानरमुखोद्गतम्: uttered from Vaiśvānara’s mouth
• वैश्वानरमुखोद्गतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiśvānara-mukha-udgata (प्रातिपदिक; वैश्वानर + मुख + उद्गत)
• Form: उद्गत (√gam + kta) कृदन्त-विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; वचनम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्; अर्थः 'वैश्वानरस्य मुखात् उद्गतम्'

• विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयनाः: with eyes wide in astonishment
• विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vismaya-utphulla-nayana (प्रातिपदिक; विस्मय + उत्फुल्ल + नयन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (विप्राः इति)

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (addressed person as object of speaking)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (what was said)

• अब्रुवन्: said/spoke
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual); brāhmaṇas address the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agni-mandira (within Revā Khaṇḍa narrative)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Purāṇa; within story, the king is addressed by brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas with widened eyes (vismayotphulla-nayanāḥ) turn from the dream-revelation to address the king; their posture is upright, authoritative yet respectful, set against a palace or assembly hall backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvānara (Agni)
• King
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine speech (here, Agni as Vaiśvānara) commands reverence, and dharmic counsel begins with attentive listening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting leads into the Māhiṣmatī–Agnitīrtha tradition within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; it introduces the brāhmaṇas’ response to Agni’s declaration.