Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

हव्यवाहमुखे सर्वे ते यास्यन्त्यविचारितम् । मातुस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सर्वे चैव भुजङ्गमाः

Transliteration

havyavāhamukhe sarve te yāsyantyavicāritam | mātustadvacanaṃ śrutvā sarve caiva bhujaṅgamāḥ

Translation

Ayant entendu la parole de leur mère, tous ces serpents, sans la moindre hésitation, étaient voués à se ruer dans la bouche de Havyavāha, le Feu.

Word by Word

• हव्यवाहमुखे: in the mouth of Havyavāha (fire)
• हव्यवाहमुखे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्यवाह + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हव्यवाहस्य मुखे)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यास्यन्ति: will go
• यास्यन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• अविचारितम्: without deliberation
• अविचारितम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ + वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: अव्ययभावे द्वितीया (accusative used adverbially); नकार-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्यय (unconsidered)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वचनम्)

• वचनम्: word/command
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis)

• भुजङ्गमाः: serpents
• भुजङ्गमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुजङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mass of serpents surge toward a blazing sacrificial fire whose flames form a gaping ‘mouth’—Havyavāha—while the mother’s command hangs over them; tragedy is imminent.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Havyavāha)
• Bhujaṅgamas (Nāgas/serpents)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear and compulsion can drive beings toward ruin; dharma emphasizes discernment (vicāra) rather than rash action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as narrative setup within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; Agni is referenced mythologically, not as a ritual instruction here.