Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

त्वरिताः प्रस्थिता देवाः केशवं द्रष्टुकाम्यया । क्षीरोदं सागरं गत्वास्तुवंस्ते जलशायिनम्

Transliteration

tvaritāḥ prasthitā devāḥ keśavaṃ draṣṭukāmyayā | kṣīrodaṃ sāgaraṃ gatvāstuvaṃste jalaśāyinam

Translation

Se hâtant, les devas—désireux de voir Keśava—parvinrent à l’Océan Kṣīroda et y louèrent le Seigneur qui repose sur les eaux.

Word by Word

• त्वरिताः: hastened
• त्वरिताः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित (प्रातिपदिक; √त्वर्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘hastened/quick’

• प्रस्थिताः: set out
• प्रस्थिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रस्थित (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था + प्र-, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘set out’

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘gods’

• केशवम्: Keśava
• केशवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘Keśava (Viṣṇu)’

• द्रष्टुकाम्यया: with a desire to see
• द्रष्टुकाम्यया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रष्टु (√दृश् तुमुन्) + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘with the desire to see’ (instrumental of cause/means)

• क्षीरोदम्: the Ocean of Milk
• क्षीरोदम्: Karman (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + उद (प्रातिपदिके; components)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘to Kṣīroda’

• सागरम्: ocean
• सागरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘ocean’ (apposition to ‘kṣīrodam’)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — ‘having gone’

• अस्तुवन्: praised
• अस्तुवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘praised’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘they’ (refers to ‘devāḥ’)

• जलशायिनम्: the one reclining on the waters
• जलशायिनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिके; components)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘the one who lies on the waters’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīroda-sāgara (Milk Ocean)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas arrive at the white, luminous Milk Ocean and begin praising Keśava, who reclines upon the waters (Ananta implied), serene amid cosmic stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Kṣīroda Sāgara
• Jalaśāyī Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In crisis, swift turning toward darśana and stuti of the Lord becomes the path to protection and restoration of order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣīroda Sāgara (Milk Ocean), portrayed as a sacred meeting-point between devas and the Supreme Protector.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stuti (praise/hymn) to Viṣṇu is performed; no other rite is specified.