Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

कम्बलोऽधिगतस्तात पाशधृग्वरुणस्तथा । यमश्च भगवान्देव आश्रित्य चोदरं श्रितः

Transliteration

kambalo'dhigatastāta pāśadhṛgvaruṇastathā | yamaśca bhagavāndeva āśritya codaraṃ śritaḥ

Translation

Ô cher, Kambala y a pris place ; et Varuṇa, porteur du lacet (pāśa), ainsi que le dieu bienheureux Yama —s’y étant réfugiés— demeurent dans son ventre (au-dedans).

Word by Word

• कम्बलः: Kambala (a serpent name)
• कम्बलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कम्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अधिगतः: having reached / situated
• अधिगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधि (उपसर्ग) + गम् (धातु) → अधिगत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); (अर्थः: प्राप्त/अवस्थित)

• तात: O dear one
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन-पदम्

• पाशधृक्: bearing a noose
• पाशधृक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + धृक् (धृ-धातु, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; धृक् (धृ धातोः) = ‘bearing’; विशेषणम् (विशेष्यः: वरुणः)

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/समुच्चय-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भगवान्: the venerable/lordly
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विशेष्यः: यमः)

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन-पदम्

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उदरम्: the belly
• उदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रितः: dwelling/settled
• श्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रि (धातु) → श्रित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); विशेषणम् (विशेष्यः: यमः)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (contextual narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: tāta / nṛpa (king addressed affectionately)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A semi-transparent depiction of the cow’s belly as a sacred interior where Varuṇa with pāśa, Yama with staff, and Kambala (nāga/underworld being) are stationed like guardians of cosmic order; the sage points while the king listens.

Characters & Entities

• Kambala
• Varuṇa
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is portrayed as divinely inhabited; reverence for such a place aligns one with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha in the Narmadā/Revā sacred landscape (the precise name is supplied by the surrounding verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the site's sanctity through divine presence.