Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

वने चिन्तयतः किंचिद्ध्वनिगीतं सुशोभनम् । गीतस्य च ध्वनिं श्रुत्वा मोहितो मायया हरेः

Transliteration

vane cintayataḥ kiṃciddhvanigītaṃ suśobhanam | gītasya ca dhvaniṃ śrutvā mohito māyayā hareḥ

Translation

Tandis qu’il réfléchissait dans la forêt, s’éleva un beau son de chant. Entendant la résonance de ce chant, il fut égaré par la māyā de Hari.

Word by Word

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• चिन्तयतः: while (he) was thinking / of one thinking
• चिन्तयतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) → चिन्तयत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of (him) thinking’

• किञ्चित्: some / a certain
• किञ्चित्: Vishesana (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: परिमाण/अल्पत्ववाचक-अव्यय (indefinite ‘a little/some’)

• ध्वनिगीतम्: a sound-song / a melodious sound
• ध्वनिगीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनिगीत (प्रातिपदिक; ध्वनि + गीत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

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

• गीतस्य: of the song
• गीतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक; √गै क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• ध्वनिम्: the sound
• ध्वनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having heard’

• मोहितः: deluded
• मोहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह् (धातु) → मोहित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘deluded’

• मायया: by illusion
• मायया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• हरेः: of Hari (Vishnu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king) implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a quiet forest, as the Dānava broods, an exquisitely beautiful song arises unseen; the sound-waves seem to ripple through trees, and his expression shifts into enchantment—caught by Hari’s māyā.

Characters & Entities

• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māyā often works through attractive sounds and impressions; dharma emphasizes mastery of attention and senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra’s forested sacred setting, where divine power is narrated as palpably active.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is specified in this verse.