Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

भक्त्या तु परया राजन्यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम् । अंशावतरणाद्विष्णोः सूतो भूत्वा महामतिः

Transliteration

bhaktyā tu parayā rājanyāvadābhūtasamplavam | aṃśāvataraṇādviṣṇoḥ sūto bhūtvā mahāmatiḥ

Translation

હે રાજન, પરમ ભક્તિથી—આભૂત-સમ્પ્લવ (પ્રલય) સુધી—વિષ્ણુના અંશાવતરણથી તે મહામતિ ‘સૂત’ (સારથી/વંદી) બની ગયો.

Word by Word

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): ‘indeed/but’

• परया: supreme
• परया: Karaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (भक्त्या इति)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; vocative ‘O king’

• यावत्: until/as long as
• यावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Limit/पर्यन्त-निर्देशक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/कालवाचक): ‘as long as/until’

• आभूतसम्प्लवम्: up to the great dissolution
• आभूतसम्प्लवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Extent/पर्यन्त-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ + भूत + सम्प्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव: ‘आ (पर्यन्तम्) + भूतसम्प्लवम्’ = ‘up to the cosmic dissolution’

• अंशावतरणात्: from the descent of a portion (incarnation)
• अंशावतरणात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश + अवतरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘अंशस्य अवतरणम्’

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सूतः: a charioteer
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having become’

• महामतिः: the great-minded one
• महामतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महती मतिः यस्य’ (as epithet)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (explicit: 'O King')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great-minded devotee, glowing with devotion, is shown transformed into a sūta—holding reins or a bardic instrument—while a subtle aura indicates Viṣṇu’s partial descent empowering his service through ages up to pralaya.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme bhakti is portrayed as enduring beyond ordinary time, and divine grace can assign sacred roles for dharma’s preservation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Dārutīrtha origin narrative within Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the focus is on parā-bhakti and divine aṃśāvatāra.