Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

मध्ये तस्याम्बुदश्यामां पीनोरुजघनस्तनीम् । वस्त्रैरनुपमैर्दिव्यैर्नानाभरणभूषिताम्

Transliteration

madhye tasyāmbudaśyāmāṃ pīnorujaghanastanīm | vastrairanupamairdivyairnānābharaṇabhūṣitām

Translation

En son sein, il vit une forme de jeune fille, sombre comme un nuage—aux hanches pleines et à la poitrine opulente—vêtue d’incomparables étoffes divines et parée de maints ornements.

Word by Word

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तस्याम्: in her/in that (river)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अम्बुदश्यामाम्: dark like a cloud
• अम्बुदश्यामाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अम्बुद (प्रातिपदिक ‘cloud’) + श्याम (प्रातिपदिक ‘dark’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (अम्बुद इव श्यामा)

• पीनोरुजघनस्तनीम्: with full thighs, hips, and breasts
• पीनोरुजघनस्तनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीन (प्रातिपदिक ‘full’) + ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक ‘thigh’) + जघन (प्रातिपदिक ‘hips’) + स्तनी (स्तनिन्/स्तनी-प्रातिपदिक ‘breasted’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः/बहुपदसमासः (पीनौ ऊरू यस्याः; जघनं; स्तनौ)

• वस्त्रैः: with garments
• वस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अनुपमैः: incomparable
• अनुपमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (वस्त्रैः इति सह)

• दिव्यैः: divine
• दिव्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (वस्त्रैः इति सह)

• नानाभरणभूषिताम्: adorned with various ornaments
• नानाभरणभूषिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग ‘various’) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक ‘ornament’) + भूषित (√भूष् (धातु), क्त-प्रत्यय ‘adorned’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नानाभिः आभरणैः भूषिता)

Speaker

Narrator (a ṛṣi/purāṇic speaker addressing a king; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tīrtha-śravaṇa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the river’s center stands/appears a cloud-dark youthful Devī, full-hipped and full-bosomed, wearing incomparable divine garments and many ornaments, radiating auspiciousness over the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is living divinity—Devī can be directly perceived by grace, not merely imagined.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā, whose inner presence is praised as Devī in visible form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the verse focuses on darśana (vision) and the goddess’s revealed form.