Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

दश कन्यास्ततो दिक्षु आगताश्च महार्णवे । वस्त्रालंकारसहिता दिग्भ्यो नूपुरभूषिताः

Transliteration

daśa kanyāstato dikṣu āgatāśca mahārṇave | vastrālaṃkārasahitā digbhyo nūpurabhūṣitāḥ

Translation

Alors, des directions vinrent dix jeunes filles sur le grand océan : parées de vêtements et d’ornements, et ceintes de grelots aux chevilles, comme si elles incarnaient les quartiers du monde.

Word by Word

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; बहुवचनार्थे विशेषण (numeral adjective)

• कन्याः: maidens, girls
• कन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: thereafter/from there)

• दिक्षु: in the directions
• दिक्षु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (Feminine, Locative, Plural)

• आगताः: arrived
• आगताः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्तः (क्त) — ‘arrived’ (participial predicate)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• महा-अर्णवे: in the great ocean
• महा-अर्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular); कर्मधारयः (महान् अर्णवः)

• वस्त्र-अलंकार-सहिता: accompanied by garments and ornaments
• वस्त्र-अलंकार-सहिता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अलंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + सहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (वस्त्रैः अलंकारैः सहिता)

• दिग्भ्यः: from the directions
• दिग्भ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन (Feminine, Ablative, Plural)

• नूपुर-भूषिताः: adorned with anklets
• नूपुर-भूषिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नूपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (नूपुरैः भूषिताः)

Speaker

Narrator (a Brāhmaṇa sage) addressing a king (Nareśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa mahārṇava episode (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ten exquisitely adorned maidens emerge from each direction over the ocean, anklets chiming, forming a mandala around the central ritual focus.

Characters & Entities

• Daśa kanyāḥ (ten maidens)
• Dik (directions/quarters)
• Mahārṇava (great ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos is portrayed as conscious and responsive; the directions themselves appear as attendants in a sacred unfolding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Revā Khaṇḍa celebrates the Revā region; this verse emphasizes cosmic attendants rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse sets up a scene of reverential arrival.