Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

शृणोम्यर्णवमध्यस्थो निःशब्दस्तिमिते तदा । अम्भोरवमनौपम्यं दिशो दश विनादिनम्

Transliteration

śṛṇomyarṇavamadhyastho niḥśabdastimite tadā | ambhoravamanaupamyaṃ diśo daśa vinādinam

Translation

Lalu, ketika aku berada di tengah samudra dalam keheningan tanpa suara dan serba diam, aku mendengar gemuruh air yang tiada bandingnya, menggema ke sepuluh penjuru arah.

Word by Word

• शृणोमि: I hear
• शृणोमि: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अर्णवमध्यस्थः: standing in the middle of the ocean
• अर्णवमध्यस्थः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्णवस्य मध्ये स्थः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निःशब्दः: silent; without sound
• निःशब्दः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्/निः-पूर्वक तत्पुरुषः (soundless); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तिमिते: in the stillness
• तिमिते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/State)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिमित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (context: ‘in the still (state)’), सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अम्भोरवम्: the sound of the waters
• अम्भोरवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अम्भसः रवः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अनौपम्यम्: incomparable
• अनौपम्यम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अनौपम्य’ = अनुपम (incomparable)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; (agreeing with ‘दिशः’)

• विनादिनम्: resounding
• विनादिनम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नद् (धातु) → विनादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्धित/कृदन्ताधारित विशेषण ‘विनादिन्’ (resounding); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with अम्भोरवम्/अनौपम्यम् as object phrase)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Eka-arṇava (symbolic)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone sage afloat in a glassy yet immense ocean; the ten directions are suggested by subtle radiating lines; the water’s roar is visualized as concentric wave-sound rings spreading outward.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when the world seems silent and empty, the Purāṇic vision portrays a deeper cosmic order—heard as the elemental voice of creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is part of a universal pralaya setting within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—this is descriptive narration.