Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

भासयन्त्यो जगत्सर्वं विद्युतोऽभ्रगणानिव । पद्मैर्हिरण्मयैर्दिव्यैरर्चयित्वा शुभाननाः

Transliteration

bhāsayantyo jagatsarvaṃ vidyuto'bhragaṇāniva | padmairhiraṇmayairdivyairarcayitvā śubhānanāḥ

Translation

Rayonnant sur le monde entier comme l’éclair au milieu des amas de nuages, ces jeunes filles au visage de bon augure offrirent leur culte avec des lotus divins d’or.

Word by Word

• भासयन्त्यः: illuminating
• भासयन्त्यः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भास् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) causative sense from √भास्/√भासय्; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'shining/illuminating'

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; जगत् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विद्युतः: lightnings
• विद्युतः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अभ्रगणान्: masses of clouds
• अभ्रगणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (अभ्राणां गणाः = masses of clouds); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमावाचक) = particle of comparison

• पद्मैः: with lotuses
• पद्मैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (instrument)

• हिरण्मयैः: golden
• हिरण्मयैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; पद्मैः इति विशेषणम्

• दिव्यैः: divine
• दिव्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; पद्मैः इति विशेषणम्

• अर्चयित्वा: having worshipped
• अर्चयित्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having worshipped

• शुभाननाः: the fair-faced (maidens)
• शुभाननाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: बहुव्रीहि (शुभम् आननं येषाम् = those whose faces are auspicious); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (first-person observer)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (episode locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Celestial maidens blaze like lightning amid cloudbanks, illuminating the world; with serene faces they perform worship, offering divine golden lotuses in a radiant ritual tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by worship)
• divya-padma (divine lotus offerings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pure offerings and luminous devotion symbolize the exalted worship of Śiva, magnifying the sanctity of the place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra’s Liṅga-sthāna, where celestial-style worship is depicted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana using lotus offerings—here described as divine and golden—highlighting the ideal of beautiful, pure upacāras.