Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र स्थितं तं विज्ञाय चापमादाय केशवः । व्यसृजद्बाणमाग्नेयं दह्यतामिति चिन्तयन्

Transliteration

tatra sthitaṃ taṃ vijñāya cāpamādāya keśavaḥ | vyasṛjadbāṇamāgneyaṃ dahyatāmiti cintayan

Translation

Sachant qu’il se tenait là, Keśava saisit son arc et décocha un trait de feu, songeant : «Qu’il soit brûlé.»

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्थितम्: standing / stationed
• स्थितम्: Karma (as qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तम्)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विज्ञाय: having recognized
• विज्ञाय: Kriya (Gerundial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञाय (कृदन्त, क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma (Object of आदाय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya (Gerundial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + दा (धातु) → आदाय (कृदन्त, क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• केशवः: Keśava (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• केशवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्यसृजत्: released / shot
• व्यसृजत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• बाणम्: arrow
• बाणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आग्नेयम्: fiery / of Agni
• आग्नेयम्: Karma (as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying बाणम्)

• दह्यताम्: let (him/it) be burned
• दह्यताम्: Kriya (Quoted thought/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थ (injunctive command)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थ-निपात (quotative particle)

• चिन्तयन्: thinking
• चिन्तयन्: Karta (as participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) → चिन्तयन् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; केशवस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; continuation of Maheśa’s account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) region (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava lifts the bow, aims into the netherworld, and releases an Āgneya missile—flames streaming along the arrow’s path into cavernous darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Agni (implied by āgneya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma becomes entrenched, the divine acts decisively to restrain it, symbolized by the purifying fire-weapon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the verse is part of a narrative episode rather than a direct tirtha-māhātmya statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on the narrative use of an āgneya (fiery) astra.