Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

मारुतः शीतलो वाति वनं स्पृष्ट्वा सुशोभनम् । वातेन प्रेरितो गन्धो दानवो घ्राणपीडितः

Transliteration

mārutaḥ śītalo vāti vanaṃ spṛṣṭvā suśobhanam | vātena prerito gandho dānavo ghrāṇapīḍitaḥ

Translation

Un vent frais souffla, effleurant la forêt si belle. Poussée par ce souffle, la fragrance parvint au Dānava, et son odorat en fut comme submergé.

Word by Word

• मारुतः: wind
• मारुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• शीतलः: cool
• शीतलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with मारुतः

• वाति: blows
• वाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Present indicative 3rd sg.

• वनम्: the forest
• वनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having touched’

• सुशोभनम्: very beautiful
• सुशोभनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुशोभन (प्रातिपदिक; सु + शोभन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifies वनम्

• वातेन: by the wind
• वातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• प्रेरितः: driven
• प्रेरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-ईर्/ईर् (धातु) → प्रेरित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘impelled/driven’

• गन्धः: fragrance
• गन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• दानवः: the demon
• दानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• घ्राणपीडितः: afflicted in the nose / tormented by smell
• घ्राणपीडितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घ्राणपीडित (प्रातिपदिक; घ्राण + पीडित[क्त])
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (पीडित) समासान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifies दानवः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king) implied in the passage sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cool wind passes through a beautiful forest, lifting flower-scents and carrying them toward a Dānava; the fragrance strikes him powerfully, changing his inner state.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even subtle sense-objects can dominate the mind; spiritual discipline includes guarding the senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra’s sacred woodland setting along the Narmadā, depicted as filled with extraordinary purity and allure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual practice is prescribed in this verse.