Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

जटी वामनरूपेण स्तूयमानो द्विजोत्तमैः । तद्दिव्यं रूपमास्थाय क्रमित्वा मेदिनीं क्रमैः

Transliteration

jaṭī vāmanarūpeṇa stūyamāno dvijottamaiḥ | taddivyaṃ rūpamāsthāya kramitvā medinīṃ kramaiḥ

Translation

ജടാധാരിയായ വാമനരൂപത്തിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജന്മാർ സ്തുതിച്ചപ്പോൾ, പിന്നെ അദ്ദേഹം ദിവ്യ വിരാട്രൂപം ധരിച്ചു മഹാപാദങ്ങളാൽ ഭൂമിയെ അളന്ന് സർവ്വത്ര വ്യാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• जटी: the matted-haired one
• जटी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वामनरूपेण: in the form of a dwarf
• वामनरूपेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—वामनस्य रूपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• स्तूयमानः: being praised
• स्तूयमानः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्/मान (Present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being praised’

• द्विजोत्तमैः: by the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमैः: Kartr (Agent of praising/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object of āsthāya/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having assumed’

• क्रमित्वा: having traversed
• क्रमित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having stepped/stridden’

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रमैः: with steps
• क्रमैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small ascetic brāhmaṇa with matted locks (Vāmana) stands praised by brāhmaṇas; then transforms into towering Trivikrama, one foot on Earth, another reaching the heavens, measuring the worlds in three strides.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Trivikrama (implied)
• Brāhmaṇas (Dvijottamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sovereignty belongs to the Divine; humility (Vāmana) can conceal immeasurable power (Trivikrama) used to re-establish dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is avatāra-focused and does not directly name a tīrtha, though it appears within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader pilgrimage-centered narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual prescription appears here.