Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

काचित्कुन्देन्दुवर्णाभा नीलरत्नविभूषिता । शिरसा प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा विज्ञापयति पावकम्

Transliteration

kācitkundenduvarṇābhā nīlaratnavibhūṣitā | śirasā prāñjalirbhūtvā vijñāpayati pāvakam

Translation

また一人の女は、くんどの花と月のように白く、青き宝玉を身に飾り、頭を垂れて合掌し、火神に願いを申し上げた。

Word by Word

• काचित्: a certain (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्टा स्त्री (indefinite pronoun: “a certain woman”)

• कुन्द-इन्दु-वर्ण-आभा: having a hue like jasmine and the moon
• कुन्द-इन्दु-वर्ण-आभा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (उपमान-निर्देशः: ‘कुन्देन्दुवर्ण’ इव आभा यस्याः)

• नील-रत्न-विभूषिता: adorned with blue gems
• नील-रत्न-विभूषिता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त; धातु √भूष् (भूषण) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘नीलरत्नैः’ इति तृतीया-सम्बन्धः)

• शिरसा: with (her) head
• शिरसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• प्राञ्जलिः: with folded hands
• प्राञ्जलिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘अञ्जलिं कृत्वा’ इत्यर्थे (hands folded)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having become)

• विज्ञापयति: informs, petitions
• विज्ञापयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + वि + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• पावकम्: Agni, the fire-god
• पावकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa; exact speaker not stated in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed in adjacent verse-context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pale, moon-jasmine-complexioned woman adorned with blue gems stands before a blazing sacrificial/consuming fire, head bowed, palms joined, pleading for mercy amid a calamity scene.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Pāvaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In संकट (crisis), the mind turns to reverence and supplication; humility (prāñjali) is shown as a dharmic response to overwhelming forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred setting (Revā/Narmadā region), but it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A gesture of worship—bowing with folded hands (prāñjali)—is depicted, but no formal rite is prescribed.