Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तथा शतसहस्रेण लघुत्वात्समदृश्यत । अग्रतः पृष्ठतश्चैव दिशासु विदिशासु च

Transliteration

tathā śatasahasreṇa laghutvātsamadṛśyata | agrataḥ pṛṣṭhataścaiva diśāsu vidiśāsu ca

Translation

De même, par la légèreté de sa course, on la vit même à cent mille yojanas au loin : elle apparaissait devant et derrière, dans les directions et dans les directions intermédiaires.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीति-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• शतसहस्रेण: by a hundred thousand (i.e., by hundreds and thousands)
• शतसहस्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• लघुत्वात्: due to lightness
• लघुत्वात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघुत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाव-प्रत्यय -त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• सम्: together/fully (prefix)
• सम्: Upasarga (Preverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• अदृश्यत: was seen/appeared
• अदृश्यत: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Deśādhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• पृष्ठतः: from behind/behind
• पृष्ठतः: Deśādhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• दिशासु: in the directions
• दिशासु: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• विदिशासु: in the intermediate directions
• विदिशासु: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant maiden-like śakti flashes across vast space, appearing simultaneously ahead, behind, and in all directions; the horizon is ringed by the eight quarters and intermediate quarters, with watchers turning their heads in confusion.

Characters & Entities

• the maiden (kanyā)
• directions (diś, vidiś)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment makes the mind ‘see’ the object everywhere, yet never possess it; true mastery comes from turning inward rather than chasing appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.