Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

इति ज्ञात्वा समा रूढो वामनो गिरिमूर्द्धनि । ऐरावतपदाक्रांत्या यत्र तोयं विनिःसृतम्

Transliteration

iti jñātvā samā rūḍho vāmano girimūrddhani | airāvatapadākrāṃtyā yatra toyaṃ viniḥsṛtam

Translation

L’ayant compris, Vāmana monta jusqu’à la crête de la montagne—là où l’eau jaillit sous l’empreinte du pas d’Airāvata.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणार्थक (thus)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having known)

• समाः: level (grounds)
• समाः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of an implied ‘भूमयः/समाः’ = level grounds)

• रूढः: having ascended; mounted
• रूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग; ‘वामनः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• वामनः: Vāmana (the dwarf form)
• वामनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गिरिमूर्द्धनि: on the mountain-top
• गिरिमूर्द्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गिरेः मूर्धा), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ऐरावतपदाक्रांत्या: by the trampling/step of Airāvata
• ऐरावतपदाक्रांत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + आक्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ऐरावतस्य पद-आक्रान्तिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-स्थानवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विनिःसृतम्: has flowed out; issued forth
• विनिःसृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि: + वि + सृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तोयम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Airāvatapadākrānta-toya (the spring released by Airāvata’s footprint) at Vastrāpatha

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana, in brāhmaṇa form, stands on a wind-swept summit; beside him a rock bears the impression of Airāvata’s massive foot, from which a clear stream bursts forth and cascades down the slope.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Airāvata
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is revealed through divine acts—tīrthas arise from the presence and movements of exalted beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A mountain-top water-source (tīrtha) at Vastrāpathakṣetra, said to have emerged from Airāvata’s footprint.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, pilgrimage to the mountain crest and reverent engagement with the emerged water-source (tīrtha).