Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

प्रसुप्तं चार्णवे घोरे ह्यपश्यत्कूर्मरूपिणम् । तं दृष्ट्वा विस्मयापन्नो ब्रह्मा बोधयते शनैः

Transliteration

prasuptaṃ cārṇave ghore hyapaśyatkūrmarūpiṇam | taṃ dṛṣṭvā vismayāpanno brahmā bodhayate śanaiḥ

Translation

Et dans cet océan terrible, il le vit endormi sous la forme d’une tortue. À cette vue, Brahmā fut saisi d’émerveillement et tenta doucement de l’éveiller.

Word by Word

• प्रसुप्तम्: asleep
• प्रसुप्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + सुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

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

• अर्णवे: in the ocean
• अर्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘अर्णवे’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात (particle: “indeed/for”)

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; √दृश् = saw

• कूर्मरूपिणम्: one having the form of a tortoise
• कूर्मरूपिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कूर्मस्य रूपं यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (object)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनुवादक-सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); √दृश् = having seen

• विस्मयापन्नः: struck with wonder
• विस्मयापन्नः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + आपन्न (कृदन्त; √आपद्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विस्मयम् आपन्नः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बोधयते: awakens, rouses
• बोधयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु) (णिजन्त/causative: बोधय)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त-प्रयोग (causative) = awakens/causes to know

• शनैः: slowly, gently
• शनैः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “slowly/gently”)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūrma-rūpa darśana (mythic motif within Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā beholds a sleeping tortoise-form in the dark ocean; he is astonished and leans forward, gently calling to awaken the being.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kūrma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine preserves and restores creation through mysterious forms; even Brahmā depends on the higher Lord for renewal of the cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the passage is a cosmological episode rather than a location-māhātmya verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.